NATO Ally Confirms F-16 to Ukraine as 'Entire Fleet' Decommissioned

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Apr 22, 2024 at 4:03 AM EDT | Updated Apr 22, 2024 at 7:22 AM EDT


The Danish ambassador to Ukraine has said Kyiv will receive F-16 fighter jets from Denmark this summer, as promised. "Don't worry; there will definitely be airplanes for Ukraine," Ambassador Ole Egberg Mikkelsen said in an interview with Ukrainian news outlet Mi-Ukraina on Sunday.

He added that Denmark's entire fleet of F-16s was being decommissioned, and some would go to Argentina. Denmark's government plans to donate 19 F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine, the Danish Defense Ministry told Newsweek in January. Denmark's F-16s will add to a growing fleet of fighter jets already promised to Ukraine by its key allies, with Kyiv hoping to deploy them to the frontlines as early as this year.

In January 2024, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, confirmed that preparations for the delivery of the batch of jets promised by Denmark were going according to plan. The sentiment was echoed by Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen in February.

Last year several countries alongside Denmark—including the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium—pledged to provide the jets to Ukraine, although the exact timelines for their arrival are subject to change. And on April 9, another ally, Greece, said it could transfer up to 32 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, according to Greek media, suggesting that Kyiv could also receive 24 French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/denmark-f-16-ukraine-fleet-decommissioned-1892643

[marble falls]

1. Promises, promises, promises. Why aren't Ukraine's US donated F-16s operational, yet?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. They are still in training

The initial trainees were required to be generally fluent in English in order to even operate the controls.

I have been posting some status videos along the way.

This is from last year describing the issues -

Found a couple recent ones.

UK's hub -

Romania's hub -

Denmark's hub -

[marble falls]

4. Makes one wonder how the Danish 16's are going to be operational before the end of the year. US 16's were to be ...

... operational by the end of last year.

[Happy Hoosier]

5. I doubt the Danish F-16's will be ready by the end of the year.

They are older and really need some sprucing up to be really effective on the front lines with the state of modern air defense,

[BumRushDaShow]

7. They have other countries that are providing them

The Danes in the OP are the latest to update the status with them basically getting rid of all of the remaining F-16s (probably being replaced with F-35s).

The Netherlands had plans as of last summer - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143116763

Sweden had a promise of some once they became a member of NATO (which has now happened) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143140326

All of the training has been going on since last August (status update) - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143192390

I think what they are talking about doing is giving up their existing stock and getting replacements from the U.S.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

3. It takes time to train the pilots on the controls of an F-16,

remember, those Ukrainian pilots are trained in Soviet produced aircraft, like the SU-24, MIG-29, etc., they first have to be taught basic english skills and then taught the complexities of the US built F-16's and then there's the maintenance personnel that have to be trained on how to maintain those aircraft.

[Happy Hoosier]

6. Both the Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27's are primitive compared to even older F-16's.

It's a big paradigm shift for Ukrainian pilots.

[orangecrush]

9. We gave the Lockheed Starfighter to Germany

Starting in 1961, Germany bought 916 Lockheed F-104 Starfighters, an aircraft that for its time was incredible, and still holds some records today. It was a dangerous extremely high performance aircraft.

292 of those aircraft crashed, and 116 of those pilots died.

From what I read, some factors included hurried deployment, poor training, inexperienced maintainence, and using it in roles not intended for, such as low altitude missions.

The Air Force is likely not big on repeating this debacle.

?si=JBdm82vmfiZSbQne

[Marcuse]

10. Hmm, the wing spread always did seem too small.

[orangecrush]

12. Was described as

A missile with wings, and Kelly Johnson's hot rod.

[KS Toronado]

13. Less wing equals higher speeds

[orangecrush]

18. Many records

The F-104 was the first aircraft to simultaneously hold the world speed and altitude records. On 7 May 1958, USAF Major Howard C. Johnson, flying YF-104A 55–2957, broke the world flight altitude record for jet aircraft by flying to 91,243 feet (27,811 m)[a] over Edwards AFB.[64] On 16 May 1958, USAF Captain Walter W. Irwin, flying YF-104A 55–2969, set a world flight airspeed record of 1,404.012 miles per hour (2,259.538 km/h)[191] over a course 15 miles (24 km) long at Edwards AFB.[192] Flying F-104A 56–0762 over NAS Point Mugu, California, USAF Lieutenants William T. Smith and Einar Enevoldson set several time-to-climb records on 13 and 14 December 1958:[19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-104_Starfighter

[Aristus]

14. The fuselage is very long and thin.

Probably less wing-loading as a result.

[orangecrush]

19. Like a rail dragster

Made for straight line acceleration

[Traurigkeit]

17. IT was designed for SPEED as primary goal

[orangecrush]

20. Yes Sir

?si=gkaz3JDYOwuZuRal

[EX500rider]

15. It had the unfortunate distinction of Luftwaffe F-104s being dubbed "Der Witwenmacher"

"the Widowmaker."

[orangecrush]

16. Indeed

They made an entire LP record about the German experience

?si=WotIe1Y3e_sn3btV

[mitch96]

8. Not fast enough for me. On another note there is a static display of an F-16 just south of me and interestingly

It has Ukraine colors on the vert stabilizer. Also the Black/Red of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
I thought that was neat..Good Karma
m

[orangecrush]

21. "Next time...

Don't be so fuckin' eager!"

?si=IBoonIN7liuMy-2b

[orangecrush]

22. This would surprise the Russians

?si=yxG5ZOJg8o9sEbGo

[mitch96]

23. Ahhh The F104 aka the widow maker. Germany lost 300 of the 900 purchased..nt

[orangecrush]

24. I can't imagine

Volunteering for that....

[KS Toronado]

11. Wondered why Argentina was getting some while their neighbor needed them

Argentina signed the purchase of a fleet of 24 F-16 A/B Fighting Falcon fight aircraft from Denmark.........
The acquisition of the F-16s is the result of a long process of analysis and negotiations that began almost
a decade ago.

https://www.aviacionline.com/2024/04/argentina-finalizes-purchase-of-f-16-aircraft-from-denmark/