Belgium to send two F-16s to Denmark to train Ukrainian pilots - media

Belgium will send two F-16 fighter aircraft and 15 maintenance specialists to Denmark to train Ukrainian military pilots.

That's according to The Brussels Times, Ukrinform reports.

"Belgium will send two F-16s to Denmark and around fifty personnel to train Ukrainian pilots between March and September. [...] for two eight-week periods. The training mission is part of the F-16 coalition, made up of thirteen countries and led by Denmark, the Netherlands and the U.S. The aim is to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with these types of fighter jets from the 1980s and 90s," the report reads.

Ukrainian pilot training will take place in Romania, Denmark, the U.S. and the UK. Six experienced pilots have recently completed their basic training, which includes English lessons, in the UK.

The objective is not only to train pilots but also Ukrainian technicians and mission planners. Personnel will mainly come from the 2nd and 10th tactical wings based in Florennes and Kleine-Brogel respectively.

Denmark has made the Skrydstrup air base available for this purpose.

Romania is hosting an additional training center, the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), situated at Borcea Air Base, around 150 kilometers from the capital, Bucharest. Five Dutch F-16s were stationed there in November.

Denmark committed to delivering nineteen F-16s to Kyiv, with the Netherlands contributing eighteen as their new F-35 combat aircraft gradually come into service. Norway, which has stopped using its F-16s since switching to F-35s, has vaguely promised to contribute a few.

The Belgian Government decided to deliver F-16s to Ukraine from 2025, but the final decision will depend on the government in office at that time, with legislative elections in Belgium due in June 2024.

Photo: Belga