Foreign Ministry refuted reports of "catastrophically low" operational readiness of Ukrainian F-16s.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied reports of an allegedly catastrophically low operational readiness rate for Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets and excessively long maintenance turnaround times.
According to Censor.NET, this was stated by Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Tykhyi, Ukraine is making intensive use of its fleet of F-16s under challenging conditions.
He noted that the Ukrainian side had understood from the outset how difficult it would be to keep the aircraft in a combat-ready condition. Specifically, he pointed out that some components for the early models of the F-16 are no longer in production, making them increasingly difficult to find.
At the same time, the diplomat emphasized that claims regarding the allegedly critically low operational readiness of the aircraft and excessively long maintenance times are not true.
"Our industrial partners are not only continuing to deliver aircraft after major overhauls, but they are also doing so faster and faster. Maintenance lead times are getting shorter, not longer," Tykhyi noted.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the importance of international support
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that Ukraine trusts its industrial partners and expects further improvements in the maintenance processes for fighter jets.
According to him, this should ensure maximum combat readiness and operational capability of the F-16s during the winter months, when these capabilities will be particularly needed to defend Ukraine’s airspace.
Tykhyi also cautioned that reports on the condition of Ukraine’s F-16s should not undermine confidence in international funding for their maintenance or cast doubt on Ukraine’s need for new fighter jets from the arsenals of partner countries.
"We must not allow disinformation to undermine this vital support. The modernization and maintenance of our F-16 fleet remain key to defending Ukraine’s airspace and its people," the diplomat emphasized.
