F-16 Fighting Falcon News

March 4, 2025 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Belgium won’t send F-16s to Ukraine in 2025 despite a previous pledge. Ukraine requested a pause in deliveries due to pilot shortages. Meanwhile, Belgium retains old F-16s for spare parts as its own fleet transitions to F-35s.
The Belgian government has confirmed that it will not be delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this year, despite a previous commitment. Former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo pledged in April 2024 to send two F-16s by the end of the year, as part of a broader promise to provide 30 jets by 2028 under a security agreement signed with Ukrainian President Zelensky.

Belgium is a member of the "F-16 coalition," a group of nations—including the Netherlands and Denmark—that are donating surplus F-16s to Ukraine. In total, around 75 aircraft have been pledged.

Ukraine requests a halt in additional F-16 deliveries
Operating an F-16 fleet requires trained personnel and logistical support, which remains a challenge for Ukraine. Pilot training has been slower than expected, leading Ukraine to request a temporary stop on additional F-16 deliveries. The country does not want to store aircraft it cannot effectively deploy due to shortages of pilots, weapons, or spare parts, as they would become prime targets for Russian airstrikes. Instead, it prefers to keep them in safe locations in donor countries.

Belgian Air Force’s own need for spare parts
Belgium is gradually retiring its aging F-16 fleet in favor of F-35s, but delays in this transition have created a high demand for spare parts. The F-16s Belgium intended to donate were likely non-operational aircraft, valuable primarily for their spare components. According to sources, as long as Ukraine does not urgently require these spare parts, Belgium sees more benefit in retaining them to sustain its own fleet.