The USA has authorized Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands to transfer 65 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Ukraine

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives evaluated a series of notifications during the month of February proposing the transfer of 65 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon MLU fighter jets from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands to Ukraine. Despite the mentioned countries expressing their intention to donate the aircraft, the estimated cost of the initiatives amounts to USD 1.683.5 billion, including spare engines, simulators, manuals, tools, and various materials for operating and sustaining the F-16s.

From the summary of the Foreign Affairs Committee, it is revealed that Denmark will make available six F-16 Block 10, thirteen F-16 Block 15 aircraft, additional engines, and support equipment. The transfer is valued at USD 87.5 million. It is worth noting that the Danish government has not only been one of the promoters of the initiative to provide F-16s to Ukraine but is also one of the few countries training pilots and technical personnel.

Regarding the Danish F-16s, the Defense Ministers of Argentina and the Nordic country recently signed a letter of intent for the purchase of 24 F-16A/B MLU aircraft, an acquisition process that is expected to be formalized in the coming weeks with the signing of a contract. The Royal Danish Air Force upgraded a total of 61 F-16A/B aircraft to the MLU standard, a fleet that was reduced to about 44 aircraft a few years ago and is being replaced by 5th generation F-35A Lightning II fighters.

In the case of Norway, the transfer includes up to 22 F-16 Block 10/15 aircraft, engines, support equipment, test benches, tools, maintenance materials, simulators, spare parts, manuals, and technical documents, among others. The document mentions that the original acquisition value is approximately USD 1.326 billion. Norway has made available a couple of F-16s for the training of Ukrainian crews, while also forming a core group of instructors to support the Danish effort.

F-16AM Dutch flying over Afghanistan, years ago. Image: USAF.

Finally, the case of the Dutch RSAT was also discussed. On this occasion, it mentions 24 F-16 Block 10/15 aircraft as well as similar supplementary materials to those of Norway. The Dutch initiative initially involved the transfer of 18 fighters, however, that number would be expanded after the decision to cancel the sale of another six aircraft to the company Draken.

The Netherlands has been another major proponent of the project to deliver F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian Air Force. In the early months, the Dutch government was willing to transfer its F-16s to third parties in order to release combat aircraft of Soviet origin. Although this initiative did not come to life, it was a first step for the project of the previously mentioned European countries.

The Dutch commitment is such that in the last week of March, the Ministry of Defense announced the purchase of air-to-air missiles for the F-16s donated to Ukraine, an initiative valued at USD 150 million. In this way, the European state confirmed once again its commitment to supporting Ukraine in the context of the armed conflict it faces with Russia.

F-16B Norwegian armed with six AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. Image: Luftforsvaret.

It is necessary to remember that the idea of ​​transferring F-16s to Ukraine did not initially have the approval of Washington, it was a plan that matured over time until it received the green light. However, the USA has only committed to training Ukrainian personnel, leaving aside any intention related to the delivery of aircraft.

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