Ukrainian F-16s are mostly grounded

50%+ of the F-16s given to Ukraine are grounded. Ukraine now has more trained pilots than combat-ready aircraft.

The problem is simple: after every 300 flight hours, F-16s need phase inspections. The US contracted the Belgian company Sabena Aerospace Engineering to do this work under a $235.5 million program. Inspections usually take 2 to 5 weeks in the USA, and up to 40 weeks in Belgium.

Due to the shortage of new factory-made components, Ukraine has been forced to resort to cannibalizing the jets. Belgium pledged to transfer 7 F-16s in 2026, and 4 of them were designated as non-flying donor aircraft; they are being stripped for parts to keep the remaining 3 jets airworthy. By now Ukraine has around 5 F-16s that can fly sorties.

The second problem with F-16s is the ammo. It takes 150 rounds of 20mm shells to hit a drone. Ukraine needs 10,000 shells per day. Ukraine simply doesn't have them, and it affects the effectiveness of F-16s.

#Ukraine #Russia #war #aviation