The Danish Defense Ministry will delay the donation of six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by six months, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 6.
In mid-August, Denmark pledged to provide Ukraine with 19 F-16s, with the first batch of six aircraft to be delivered by the end of 2023 and the rest by 2025 as part of the effort by allies to arm Ukraine to repel Russian air superiority.
Nonetheless, Denmark will deliver the first six fighter jets sometime during the second quarter, the Danish ministry said, according to the Danish newspaper Berlingske.
Denmark is also one of the countries, along with Romania, France, the U.K., and the U.S., that provides training for Ukrainian pilots. The newspaper reported that there are currently six Ukrainian pilots training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark.
The Danish Defense Ministry said the delivery schedule hinged on a number of conditions being met, including the successful training of Ukrainian pilots, as well as the availability of logistics and infrastructure to service the aircraft in Ukraine, according to Berlingske.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian pilots currently undergoing F-16 fighter jet training in the United States are expected to complete their training later in 2024, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson said on Jan. 4.
Denmark is replacing its fleet of F-16s with new F-35 Joint Striker Fighters but is also facing delays in receiving those on schedule from producer Lockheed Martin Corp.
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