The U.S. Air Force has transferred decommissioned F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to supply spare parts for aircraft already donated by European partners, the War Zone reported on May 1.
According to an Air Force spokesperson, the U.S. Department of the Air Force "has supported the sustainment of European-donated F-16s to Ukraine by providing disused and completely non-operational F-16s to Ukraine for parts."
The aircraft, retired from U.S. service, are non-flyable and lack critical components such as engines and radars, making them unusable for operational missions.
On April 26, these stripped-down F-16 airframes were reportedly loaded onto an An-124 cargo plane that departed from Tucson International Airport in Arizona to Poland's Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, a key logistics hub for Western military assistance to Ukraine.
Several European allies have committed to supplying Ukraine with operational F-16s.
The Netherlands has pledged 24 aircraft, Denmark has promised 19, with initial deliveries made in 2024, and Norway has pledged between 6 and 22 jets. Belgium has also announced its intent to provide F-16s, though specific numbers remain undisclosed.
The F-16 introduced in the late 1970s, is operated by over two dozen countries and is capable of both air-to-air combat and precision ground strikes.
In Ukraine, they are used to intercept Russian missiles and drones and provide offensive capabilities to target Russian positions along the front line.
Ukraine's General Staff reported on Aug. 29, 2024, that an F-16 fighter jet crashed while repelling a large-scale Russian missile attack.
According to the military, the aircraft shot down four Russian cruise missiles before going down, demonstrating what officials described as its "high efficiency."
Kate Tsurkan
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