Netherlands Announces Upcoming Arrival of F-16s for Ukraine.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans has announced that F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands will soon arrive in Ukraine. He shared this information in an exclusive statement to Ukrinform's correspondent in The Hague.
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An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. (Picture source: US DoD)

"We are working diligently to ensure that the F-16s will arrive soon," Brekelmans stated. "However, I will not disclose any operational details. This is not due to a lack of willingness to inform the public, but because the F-16s are significant targets for Russia. Revealing specific dates and times would provide valuable information to the Russian regime, which we want to avoid."

The F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, designed by General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin), is a multirole aircraft that has been in service since its first flight on February 2, 1974, and its entry into service on August 17, 1978. This versatile aircraft is known for its ability to perform a variety of missions, ranging from air superiority to ground attack. With over 4,588 units built as of April 25, 2019, it is a cornerstone of many air forces around the world.

The F-16 is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 turbofan engine with an afterburner, generating a thrust of 79 kN without afterburner and 130 kN with an afterburner. Its compact structure features a wingspan of 9.8 meters, a length of 14.8 meters, and a height of 4.8 meters, with a wing area of 27.87 m². Weighing 8,272 kg when empty, it can reach a maximum weight of 16,900 kg when fully loaded.

This aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of 2,173 km/h (Mach 2.04) and climb at a rate of 15,240 m/min up to a ceiling of 15,200 meters. Its operational range is 550 km, with a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.90 and a wing loading of 431 kg/m².

In terms of armament, the F-16 is internally equipped with a 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon. Externally, it can carry a variety of air-to-air missiles, such as the AIM-7 Sparrow, Sidewinder, ASRAAM, Magic 2, and AMRAAM, as well as air-to-ground Maverick missiles, anti-radar HARM missiles, laser-guided bombs, up to two JDAMs (Mk 82, Mk 83, Blu 109, or Mk 84), and rockets.

The avionics of the F-16 include an electric flight control system, a head-up display, the HOTAS (Hands On Throttle-And-Stick) system, and several progressive radars, ranging from the AN/APG-66 to the AN/APG-83 active array radar. It is also equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) radar, an ALR-56M radar warning receiver, GPS, Link 16, and an AN/ALQ-131 electronic warfare pod, ensuring tactical superiority on the battlefield.

Brekelmans also praised the rapid progress of Ukrainian pilots in mastering the F-16 system. "Usually, Dutch pilots take many years, sometimes more than five, to fully master the F-16 system, which is quite complex. Ukrainian pilots are achieving this in just one to one-and-a-half years. Their progress is truly remarkable," he said, declining to disclose the exact number of pilots for security reasons.

He emphasized the importance of secure and reliable arms transfer processes and noted the critical role of fighter jets in defense and protection. "Initially, air defense will be the primary role of the F-16s. Over time, they may be used for other operations, but the priority remains air defense," Brekelmans explained.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans has announced that F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands will soon arrive in Ukraine. (Picture source: US DoD)