PARIS — The Netherlands will deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine over the coming months, with the Dutch defense minister acknowledging for the first time that the handover of 24 warplanes to the embattled country is underway.
The Dutch will also provide €400 million ($439 million) to jointly develop and produce advanced drones for reconnaissance, defense and attack, mainly in the air but also on land and at sea, Ruben Brekelmans said on a surprise visit to the embattled country on Sunday.
“For the first time, I can officially announce that the first Dutch F-16s have been delivered to Ukraine,” Brekelmans said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, as he traveled to Kyiv as well as the city of Kharkiv. “This is urgently needed. In Kharkiv, I saw the damage from Russian airstrikes and heard frequent air raid alarms.”
Word about F-16s reaching Ukrainian forces first came over the summer following preparations by a coalition of European governments, led by the Netherlands and Denmark, to donate aircraft. The weapons are meant to help Ukraine repel Russian attacks, which have targeted population centers and critical infrastructure.
Dutch Chief of Defence Gen. Otto Eichelsheim addressed his country’s contributions during a visit to Washington in late August, saying the F-16s were doing a “good job.” He also said Dutch leaders had placed no restrictions on how Ukrainian pilots can use them, including striking military targets in Russia, as Moscow’s forces have used their side of the border to stage assaults into Ukraine.
Dutch military support for Ukraine reached €3.76 billion end-September, up by €683 million from early June, Brekelmans said in a letter to parliament dated Sunday. Much of the new money was aimed at maintaining Ukraine’s fighting capacity, included parts and ammunition for Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, Patriot air-defense systems and F-16 jets, as well as medical goods and combat rations. the Ministry of Defence said.
The first F-16 deliveries followed the Netherlands granting export licenses for the fighters on July 1, according to the ministry. To arm the jets and keep them flying, the Dutch are supplying Ukraine air-to-air missiles from their stockpiles, as well as €450 million to buy ammunition and €80 million for maintenance contracts and spare parts.
“We agreed to enhance cooperation within the aviation coalition, including crew training and the supply of weapons and spare parts for aircraft,” Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said in a post on X, after meeting with Brekelmans.
Brekelmans says the Dutch have previously taken a lead role in providing Ukraine with F-16s and Patriot air-defense systems, and will pursue that role with the plan for advanced drones.
The two countries will jointly develop advanced drones and accelerate production of successful prototypes, with nearly half of that taking place in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch MoD. The Netherlands is a frontrunner in developing unmanned vehicles, and will be able to contribute high-end technology, the ministry said.
For successful prototypes, more funds will be made available to scale up production, according to the ministry. Due to the importance of drones in modern warfare, the project will be a priority for the Netherlands, and Brekelmans told Dutch news agency ANP the effort doesn’t concern the types of small drone used in mass on the Ukrainian battlefield, but the most advanced drones.
“When Dutch knowledge and technology are combined with Ukrainian battlefield experience, that results in innovative and effective drones,” Brekelmans said. “Development of all kinds of drones is happening at lightning speed. We don’t have the luxury of taking a long time, it’s about moving fast. Buy prototypes, quickly test them and rapidly scale up production.”
Brekelmans said he observed the aftermath of Russia’s heavy bombardments in Kharkiv, including destroyed apartments, electricity shortages and children attending school in bunkers. He said Ukraine can only defend itself by “keeping Russia at a greater distance,” without providing details.
The U.S. has supplied Ukraine with Joint Direct Attack Munition kits to convert unguided bombs into guided munitions, and which can be launched by F-16s.
Air raid alarms also sounded during a flower-laying ceremony for fallen Ukrainian soldiers at a cemetery in Kyiv, which Brekelmans attended with Eichelsheim, the minister said in a post on X on Monday. “Ukrainians are making unparalleled sacrifices for their freedom,” Brekelmans said.
The Dutch MoD provided an updated overview of equipment supplied or pledged to Ukraine, which includes a Patriot radar system and five launchers, 353 YPR-765 infantry fighting vehicles, 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks, more than 100 Leopard 1 tanks and eight PzH 2000s.
Rudy Ruitenberg is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.
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