The Netherlands wants to start training this summer, so the planes should be ready by winter, just when Russia will probably attempt to attack Ukraine’s energy grid again. The Takeawayį-16 fighters will be a huge upgrade for Ukraine’s air force. Had the F-35 not been delayed, the 34 jets the Netherlands is ready to donate to Ukraine might well have been sold to overseas buyers already. The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Poland are all replacing their F-16s with F-35s, an effort that will likely free up a couple hundred jets for transfer. The F-35A, years late, has air forces only now retiring their F-16 fleets-just in time for Ukraine to take the reins. The delayed introduction of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has proven an unanticipated boon to Ukraine. Another mission could be to launch HARM anti-radar missiles at Russian air defense radars, or drop JDAM GPS-guided bombs in support of troops on the front line, all while safely within Ukrainian airspace.ĭutch F-35s refueling mid-air. The AN/APG-66 radars are capable of detecting low-altitude targets at ranges of up to 51 miles, tracking up to 10 targets, and engaging six individual targets with AMRAAM radar-guided missiles. Ukrainian F-16s would likely use their F-16s to shoot down incoming Russian drones and cruise missiles. While air-to-air fighter combat was common in the early days of the war, the ground-based air defenses of both sides are now firmly entrenched, making flying near the front line risky. The F-16 AM/BM MLU will be competitive with most Russian fighters in the region, with the exception of the newer Su-35 “Flanker-E”. The F-16 AM/BM MLU is an earlier model F-16 that underwent an upgrade process that included a new AN/APG-66(V2) radar system, a new computer system, a modernized multifunction display and heads-up display, GPS, and a data modem compatible with the US/NATO Link 16 encrypted data sharing system. According to Aviation Week & Space Technology, the Royal Netherlands Air Force has 34 F-16AM/BM Mid-Life Update (MLU) fighters ready for transfer. The first tranche of F-16s will likely be sourced from the Netherlands. The F-16 fighter jet will be a marked improvement upon Ukraine’s remaining Su-27s and MiG-29s. This Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16, photographed in 2018, could end up flying for Ukraine.

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