Dutch Falcons Over Kyiv?
Last Thursday, 19th of January, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra announced that his government was open to the prospect of supplying the Ukrainian Air Force with an unspecified number of F-16A “Fighting Falcons.”
This statement was made just one day prior to a meeting that was held at Ramstein, Germany. Now it must be noted that the Dutch Air Force is currently in the process of phasing out its current fleet of F-16s, as the country has begun to receive F-35As from the United States. So they can afford to transfer their older stocks to the AFU.
Potential Transfer and Training Requirements
However, a final decision is yet to be made, and even if the Dutch Government does decide to transfer the jets, it could take some time for them to arrive in Ukraine. This delay is due to the necessary training that Ukrainian pilots and ground crews will require to operate the aircraft.
F-16: An “Old” Yet Desirable Aircraft
Despite being an “old” design, the F-16 is still seen as a desirable aircraft for many nations. In a strange twist of fate, the F-16 has become a popular choice as a replacement for the Soviet-made MiG-21 in countries such as Romania and Bulgaria.
~NC
