Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The Belgian army command said it was inconceivable to send Belgian F-16s to Ukraine when they are not in use in Belgium. This was reported by De Standaard on Monday, according to the Belgian news agency
"You cannot send planes to Ukraine that you are no longer using yourself," Lieutenant Frédéric Gutink, the head of material resources for the Belgian army, said in an interview. "It's not that we don't want to, but when our planes go out of service, they're gone. These planes will have flown for so many hours by then that their airframes are worn out."
Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedondre stated that deliveries of the F-16s to Ukraine were not possible during a parliamentary meeting in May, echoing that the planes were nearing the end of their service.
Belgium has already sent automatic weapons, Lynx armored vehicles and more than 200 Volvo trucks to Ukraine, as well as ammunition, fuel and medical equipment. However, this does not mean that Belgium will be able to send its aging F-16s to Ukraine once the first F-35s have been delivered, says Gutink.
Gutink said the argument that Ukrainians are likely to ignore the strict rules on maximum flying hours is unfounded. "It's the same argument you make about expired medicine. Are you still sending them to Africa? If you send a plane that is no longer safe, and you know there are cracks in the structure, to Ukraine, you could potentially endanger people's lives." pilot."