American F-16 fighter jets are set to engage with Russian forces in Ukrainian airspace starting this summer. The NATO member countries that donated the fighter jets have limited Ukraine from using the F-16s to attack Russia’s mainland, even though they don’t expect the introduction of F-16s to be a game-changer.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who arrived in Washington D.C. for the NATO summit, issued a joint statement with U.S. President Joe Biden on July 10. They announced in the statement that they have been working to provide operational F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and that the governments of the Netherlands and Denmark are in the process of donating U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine under U.S. support. They also announced that the transfer of F-16 fighter jets is in process and that Ukraine is expected to operate F-16 fighter jets this summer. They explained that they would not mention a specific schedule due to security issues.
On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said at a NATO event, “These fighter jets will fly over Ukraine this summer, enabling Ukraine to effectively defend against Russia’s offensive.”
The WSJ cited a NATO official and reported that Ukraine is receiving a total of 80 F-16s. The Washington Post (WP) claimed that initially, 60 fighter jets would be transferred to Ukraine.
Ukraine has been fending off Russia’s invasion since 2022. The country emphasized the need to secure air superiority for a counterattack. In response, Ukraine has requested the West to provide the F-16s, which can be used for multiple purposes and of which NATO has a large stockpile, so they can be received quickly.
Internationally, the export of advanced weaponry and training on their use are subject to strict regulations due to security concerns. Countries importing F-16s must obtain approval from the original manufacturer, the U.S., to transfer the aircraft or pilot training to third countries.
In May last year, the U.S. approved at the G7 summit that countries that have imported the F-16 can provide control training to Ukrainian pilots. Accordingly, Denmark and the Netherlands started pilot training in August of the same year. In the same month, the U.S. allowed allies to provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine at the end of pilot training. Some NATO countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium, announced plans to donate their F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The U.S. also announced in August last year that it would directly train Ukrainian pilots.
The news of this transfer came just after Russia launched a massive missile attack on civilian residential areas in Ukraine on the 8th, resulting in at least 43 deaths. Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister of Norway, said in the WP that Ukraine’s air defense is weak and that “this is desperately needed considering the brutality of recent Russian attacks.”
Concerning this, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said that the F-16 is “not a game-changing weapon.” However, he evaluated that Ukraine could block Russia’s offensive with the F-16 and could conduct air strikes targeting the interior of Russia. In May, the U.S. allowed Ukraine to attack some targets in Russian territory with U.S. weapons.
However, according to the WSJ, some countries donating fighter jets have limited the range of use and armament of the F-16s to avoid a full-scale conflict with Russia and to maintain inventory within NATO. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country is donating 30 F-16s, stated on July 10 that the donated F-16s would only operate within Ukrainian airspace. Norway, which is donating six units, is reported to have banned the donated F-16s from entering Russian airspace. The WSJ pointed out that many NATO countries find it difficult to give some weapons to Ukraine to maintain their inventory, mentioning the U.S.-made medium-range air-to-air missile AIM-120 AMRAAM. In response, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the F-16s provided to Ukraine will “be equipped with what is necessary to carry out their mission.”
According to Politico, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the U.S. to attend the NATO meeting and claimed on the 9th, “We need a total of 128 fighter jets. The number of aircraft being delivered locally is insufficient and the delivery is delayed.” He said, “Even if there are 50 aircraft, it’s nothing. Russia has 300 fighter jets. We need 128 because we are defending against them.”
In May, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it would consider the F-16s going to Ukraine as a means of carrying nuclear weapons. In the same month, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it would conduct tactical nuclear weapons training with missile units in the Southern Military District, which oversees the occupied territories in Ukraine.
