Minister: Ukrainian Delta system ready to integrate Western equipment, including F-16 jets

The Ukrainian Delta system is ready to integrate Western equipment, including F-16 fighter jets, after successfully passing NATO tests, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on July 11.

Delta successfully performed at NATO's annual CWIX - Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise exercise in Bydgoszcz, Poland together with 15 systems from 10 countries, NATO's mission in Ukraine reported.

The main protocol tested this year, Link 16, showed Ukraine's potential ability to integrate data from platforms and systems provided by donor countries, Fedorov commented.

"This is a significant step because thanks to Delta, soldiers can view the battlefield in real-time, including the location of enemy forces. It is the only platform in Ukraine that consolidates data from aerial reconnaissance, satellites, drones, cutting-edge equipment, stationary cameras, radars, chatbots, and more," the minister wrote on his Facebook.

As Defense Ministry noted, Ukraine has been developing interoperability with NATO's forces at CWIX exercises since 2018.

In May, the U.S. and several European countries agreed to build an international coalition to help procure F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine and train Ukrainian fighter pilots.

On June 12, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the Netherlands and other allies were hoping to start F-16 fighter jet training for Ukrainian pilots this summer. On July 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he has confirmed the starting date for the training with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte but did not disclose it to the public.

Zelensky: Ukraine to receive ‘significant number’ of F-16 fighter jets

President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference that Ukraine will receive a “significant number” of F-16 fighter jets, based on discussions with European partners, Suspilne reported on June 6.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek