Belgium to deliver first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by end of 2026 as Russian air attacks intensify.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Belgium will transfer three operational F-16AM/BM fighter jets to Ukraine by December 31, 2026, under an accelerated procedure. This initial tranche forms part of a broader 2026 allocation comprising three flyable airframes for combat missions and four non-flying aircraft designated for spare parts and technician training. The transfer aims to immediately bolster Ukraine's air defense capabilities against ongoing aerial attacks.

Belgium's delivery schedule encompasses seven F-16s in 2026, five in 2027, 14 in 2028, and 27 in 2029, culminating in a total transfer of 53 aircraft as the Belgian Air Component transitions to the F-35A. The initial three operational fighters arrive near their 8,000-hour structural limit, requiring careful allocation of remaining flight hours alongside supplementary ammunition shipments from partner nations.

Related topic: US confirms Ukraine's first F-16 air-to-air victory against Russia's Su-35 fighter jet

Belgium will accelerate the transfer of its first three operational F-16s to Ukraine by the end of 2026 to strengthen Kyiv’s capacity to intercept intensifying Russian drone and missile attacks while also supplying urgently needed F-16 ammunition. (Picture source: Belgian Air Force)

On September 29, 2026, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Belgium agreed to transfer three operational F-16AM/BM fighter jets to Ukraine by December 31 under an accelerated procedure, providing Kyiv with its first flyable Belgian F-16s. They form the operational portion of seven Belgian jets allocated for 2026, as four withdrawn F-16s are intended for spare parts and Ukrainian technician training, meaning only 42.9% of this year's transferred airframes are intended for combat use. The three flyable fighters are close to 8,000 flight hours, the structural limit Belgium applies to its F-16 fleet. For instance, FA-95 was retired after reaching exactly 8,000 hours on September 8, 2023, following nearly 6,500 flights over 38 years, because operation beyond that point no longer met Belgian structural integrity requirements. Ukraine is therefore receiving three operational fighters with limited remaining flight-hour margins, making their value dependent on how their remaining hours are allocated between alert duty, interception sorties, training, and other missions.

The age of the Belgian fleet is a consequence of its procurement history. One of the first four F-16 international customers, Belgium acquired 160 F-16s between 1979 and 1991: an initial order comprising 96 F-16As and 20 F-16Bs, followed by 44 Block 15 OCUs, including 40 single-seaters and four two-seaters. The youngest aircraft in that F-16 inventory were consequently delivered 35 years before the 2026 Ukrainian transfer. Their structural age matters because the F-16 was designed for at least 8,000 flight hours and loads up to 9 g, while service revealed fatigue cracking in some bulkheads and required PACER SLIP structural inspection and repair. The first tranche therefore combines two different resources: three aircraft providing remaining flight hours and four non-flying aircraft providing components and maintenance training. That 3-to-4 split also demonstrates why Belgium's eventual 53-aircraft contribution cannot automatically be interpreted as 53 additional Ukrainian combat aircraft.

The jets are old structurally, but their avionics are considerably newer, because Belgium converted its surviving fleet to the F-16AM/BM Mid-Life Update (MLU) standard. The Texas Instruments Modular Mission Computer replaced three previous computer elements while occupying 42% less volume, weighing 55% less, and consuming 37% less power, with 10 of its 24 module slots reserved for growth. The AN/APG-66(V2) radar received a new processor providing 25% greater detection and tracking range, 40% higher reliability, simultaneous tracking of 10 targets, and AIM-120 engagement capability against six. The APX-113 IFF reaches 185 km, while two 10 × 10 cm color displays, GPS, a wide-angle HUD, and later Link 16 integration improved navigation and tactical-data exchange. These modifications give Ukraine an F-16 with modernized sensors and weapons interfaces despite an airframe originating from the initial Block 15 configuration.

Belgian F-16 modernization also expanded the weapons set beyond the original AIM-9 Sidewinder and unguided bombs. Belgium purchased 72 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 12 AGM-65 Mavericks in 1995-1996, later adding more AMRAAMs and roughly 40 Mavericks, while the MLU modernization covered GBU-10, GBU-12, and GBU-24 laser-guided bombs, and Belgium pursued INS/GPS kits to convert Mk 84-series weapons into GBU-31 JDAMs. Belgium initially acquired eight AN/AAQ-14 Sharpshooter targeting pods and later ordered eight Sniper advanced targeting pods; its electronic countermeasure inventory reached 36 AN/ALQ-131 pods after the acquisition of 11 additional second-hand units and 11 Block 2 upgrade kits in 1998. The M3 upgrade also added Link 16 and Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System compatibility. However, integration does not mean all this equipment will accompany the Ukrainian aircraft, so their delivered missile stocks, targeting pods and electronic warfare equipment will determine which of these functions Ukraine can actually employ.

Ukraine is already using the F-16 predominantly as part of its air defense network, and has already achieved a confirmed air-to-air victory against Russia's Su-35 fighter jet. Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko said on September 29 that Ukrainian F-16s had destroyed more than 3,150 airborne targets, including 666 cruise missiles and roughly 2,500 UAVs, while conducting more than 650 ground strikes. Among the two specified aerial categories, UAVs represent 79.0% and cruise missiles 21.0%, or 3.75 UAVs for every cruise missile. On September 29 alone, Russia launched more than 100 UAVs by 18:00, including 29 jet-powered aircraft, with Ukraine reporting 18 of those 29 destroyed, or 62.1%. Belgium and Spain have consequently supplied urgent F-16 ammunition, while Kyiv is simultaneously replenishing NASAMS missiles and seeking additional Patriot interceptors, making missile availability a direct constraint on how much additional interception capacity three fighters can generate.

Maintenance is equally important because Belgium is transferring aircraft near the end of their national service lives. Belgium and Ukraine have worked since February 2025 on localizing F-16 maintenance and training Ukrainian technicians, while Sabena Aerospace Engineering received a U.S. contract worth roughly $235 million for Ukrainian F-16 maintenance and logistics support. The four non-flying Belgian aircraft can provide engines, landing-gear components, avionics, actuators, hydraulic equipment, and other replaceable assemblies while also supporting technician training. Major F-16 work is labor-intensive: the original MLU process required up to 2,500 man-hours per aircraft and replacement of hundreds of wiring harnesses, including roughly 100 in the cockpit. For Ukraine, the operational metric is therefore aircraft available for sorties after inspections and repairs, not the cumulative number of airframes physically transferred.

Belgium plans to transfer seven F-16s in 2026, five in 2027, 14 in 2028 and 27 in 2029, producing cumulative totals of seven, 12, 26 and 53. The annual shares are 13.2%, 9.4%, 26.4% and 50.9%, so more than half of the planned fleet will not leave Belgium until the final year. Only 22.6% is scheduled for transfer by the end of 2027 and 49.1% by the end of 2028. The plan expands Belgium's previous commitment from 30 aircraft by 2028 to 53 by 2029, but it does not accelerate most of the fleet delivery into the near term. Dates and quantities also remain dependent on Belgian operational and NATO requirements, as well as on Belgium's replacement of the F-16 by the F-35A. FL013, FL015 and FL016 arrived at Florennes on September 25, 2026.

They joined four F-35As delivered there in October 2025, increasing the Belgian-based inventory to seven; FL014 is expected before year-end, while FL001 through FL008 remain at Luke AFB for Belgian pilot conversion. Belgium therefore had 15 F-35As delivered for domestic operations or U.S.-based training in late September, equivalent to 44.1% of its original 34-aircraft order, while another 11 are planned for an eventual fleet of 45. Rapid-response operations are expected from 2027 and full combat readiness in 2030. Belgium can consequently release F-16s only as F-35 jets, pilots, and maintainers replace their national and NATO functions, explaining why 27 of the 53 planned F-16 transfers are concentrated in 2029.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.