TSAMTO, October 2. Belgium intends to transfer three multirole F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2026. The planes are planned to be delivered according to an accelerated procedure.
As reported by Janes Defense Weekly, we are talking about three serviceable F-16AM/BM Block 15, which were upgraded in the middle of their service life (MLU, Mid-Life Update). They will be the first combat aircraft of this type, directly transferred by Belgium to Ukraine.
In total, in 2026, the Belgian side planned to transfer seven F-16s: three airworthy aircraft for combat use and four decommissioned airframes for training technical personnel and use as a source of spare parts. The preliminary schedule provides for the transfer of five more aircraft in 2027, 14 units in 2028 and 27 units in 2029. The timing depends on the operational needs of the aviation component of the Belgian Armed Forces and the pace of transition to the F-35A.
The announcement of the delivery took place amid reports of a decrease in the technical readiness of the Ukrainian F-16 fleet. As The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed Western sources, more than half of the aircraft of this type transferred to Ukraine are awaiting routine maintenance or completion. According to one of the sources of the publication, maintaining the current intensity of operation and the pace of maintenance may lead to a further reduction in the number of available aircraft by the end of 2026.
Official data on the number of technically serviceable F-16s in the Ukrainian Air Force are not published.
For its part, the Belgian company Sabena Aerospace Engineering refused to disclose the details of the work performed, citing operational security requirements and the sensitive nature of the military technical support program.
After approximately 300 flight hours, the F-16 must undergo a phased routine inspection, including an inspection of the engine, avionics, hydraulic system, fuel lines and other components. According to The Wall Street Journal, the standard duration of such maintenance in the United States ranges from two to six weeks, while at Belgian facilities the full cycle of waiting and performing work can reach 40 weeks.
The specified period may include waiting for spare parts, defecation, additional repair operations, and aircraft waiting in line. The length of service is also affected by the age of the transferred F-16AM/BM and the intensity of their combat use.
In January 2026, the US Department of Defense signed a contract with Sabena Aerospace Engineering with a maximum value of $ 235.449 million to ensure the operation of the Ukrainian F-16. The agreement provides for maintenance of aircraft and engines at the medium and factory levels, as well as logistics management. The work is being carried out at the company's facility in Voluve-Saint-Lambert (Belgium) and is expected to be completed by January 28, 2029.
F-16s are used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and other aerial targets, as well as to strike ground targets. The transfer of additional aircraft increases the size of the fleet, but the number of vehicles available for combat use at the same time is determined by the capacity of the maintenance system and the availability of spare parts, engines and assemblies.
