Denmark to transfer 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

20 August, 2023 F-16AM (Block 20 MLU) of the Royal Danish Air Force. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Denmark Denmark has officially confirmed the transfer of 19 F-16 multirole fighter jets to Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defense of Denmark has informed about this. "I am proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will provide F16 fighter jets for Ukraine's fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression. Denmark's support for Ukraine is unwavering, and with the transfer of F16 fighter jets, Denmark is now leading the way," said Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen.

The number of aircraft that is to be transferred has been announced by the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen. This information was confirmed by the Ministry of Defense of Denmark. She added that the first 6 fighters will fly from Denmark to Ukraine closer to the New Year.

F-16BM (Block 20 MLU) of the Royal Danish Air Force.

Photo credits: Wim Sonneveld

At the briefing, Frederiksen stated that more than 70 Ukrainian military personnel have already arrived in Denmark for F-16 training. The Royal Danish Air Force is known to have 30 F-16s. According to information from open sources, there are 15 more fighter jets in storage.

As Militarnyi previously reported, the United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands after Ukrainian pilots have completed training. Denmark has F-16AM (Block 20 MLU) fighter jets. Fighters were mainly delivered until 1991, since 1994, a batch of six aircraft has been delivered.

F-16AM (Block 20 MLU) of the Royal Danish Air Force.

Photo credits: Wim Sonneveld

This modernization is equivalent to Block 50/52. Modernization work was carried out on F-16A/B fighter aircraft to improve their specifications. "We agree to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force in close cooperation with the United States and other partners when the conditions for such a transfer are met.

Conditions include, but are not limited to, the successful selection, testing, and training of Ukrainian F-16 personnel, as well as the necessary permits, infrastructure, and logistics," the Danish Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

It is not known if these 19 aircraft are among the 42 fighter jets announced by the Netherlands.