The Netherlands delivered 2 more F-16s to Ukraine

According to RCO News Agency, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Berkelmans announced today (Thursday) that the country delivered 2 F-16s out of 24 fighter planes that were supposed to be provided to Kiev to a Romanian air base for training Ukrainian pilots.

Announcing the News, the Dutch defense minister also said that the final delivery was completed at Air Base 86, where Western trainers are training the Kyiv Air Force on how to operate the US-made aircraft.

In total, 18 F-16 fighters have been provided to Ukraine by the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is part of the so-called F-16 coalition, which agreed to provide NATO-standard warplanes to Ukraine to be used in the country’s conflicts with Russia. The Netherlands had actually agreed to donate the planes to the training section of the Ukrainian forces, which would otherwise have been removed from the country’s national air force.

According to Rasha Today, the Netherlands has committed to donate 24 F-16s to Ukraine’s military fleet, with deliveries reportedly starting in October. The full shipment is expected to be delivered within a few months.

However, it is not clear what effect the F-16s already delivered by the US to Ukraine in late July or early August have had on the course of the war. Kiev has previously confirmed the loss of one of the planes on a combat mission as a result of what Ukrainian officials described as pilot error.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview with PBS News on Monday that specific Western weapons systems are not what Kiev needs to change the course of the war.

He clarified: We provided the tanks. We supplied the F-16. We delivered the HIMARS system. Have we seen a noticeable difference in terms of the battlefield since we provided tanks to Ukraine? Similarly with the F-16s, have we seen a significant difference?

The US official said that the answer to Kiev’s current problems on the battlefield is to send more troops to the front line.

Denmark, Belgium and Norway have also promised to give F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Moscow hopes that no amount of Western weapons will change the outcome of the conflict, saying the United States and its allies want to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian”.

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