What is the F16 fighter jet, why does Ukraine want it – and how soon can it be delivered?
The US has authorised western allies to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine – and endorsed the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly the warplanes.
The move by US President Joe Biden was welcomed by the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.
On Friday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “The UK will work together with the USA and the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to get Ukraine the combat air capability it needs. We stand united.”
But how many jets will be delivered, when and which countries will provide them?
Here Sky News takes a closer look at the F-16 fighter jets and their significance for Ukraine’s war efforts.
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US Security briefing on F-16s to Ukraine
Why would F-16s be so important for the war?
Sky News’ military analyst Sean Bell says that although Russia has more tanks and aircraft, the people of Ukraine are proving tenacious and courageous on the battlefield.
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Ukraine has gained confidence with the West providing more support and longer-range weapons. However, at the moment, Mr Bell said Zelenskyy has been asking for the capability for the past year, adding “fighter aircraft are the one thing that he can’t match Russia with.”
He adds that if the West provides manned combat aircraft, then the Russian air force “most certainly wouldn’t stand a chance.”
The F-16s hold significance in supporting Ukrainians in the war, but Mr Bell says it might take months or even years for military troops to learn how to operate the aircraft.
“This is about giving capability. And Zelenskyy has been banging the drum up until now.
“The West has been reluctant to do that because they know it will take time, but it would prove a very decisive capability in this conflict.”
What are the F-16s?
The F-16 is built by the American defence contractor Lockheed Martin.
It is a multi-role fighter aircraft created for the United States Air Force.
The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons and other equipment.
Its payload typically consists of two 2,000lb (907kg) bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, two AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles and two 2,400lb (1,088kg) external fuel tanks.
The jet can travel at speeds up to 1,500mph and has a range of more than 2,002 miles.
It has a wingspan of 32ft 8in (9.9m) and a length of 49ft 5in (13.8m). It weighs 19,700lb (8,935kg) without fuel and has a maximum takeoff weight of 37,500lb (17,010kg).
There is both a single-seat and two-seat model of the aircraft.
In 1991, during the Gulf War, F-16s were used to attack airfields, military production facilities and other targets.
It has also been used and flown in American conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and the Persian Gulf.
They are operated by several countries other than the US, including Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
When can F-16s be realistically delivered?
There are two key factors to think about.
As F-16s are produced by the US, the Americans would need to provide permission to other nations to give their F-16 aircraft.
“The second thing is F-16s are the most widely exported aircraft in the world as there are a lot of them about,” Bell adds.
Zelenskyy gave Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle a helmet during a visit to London
There are two factors to consider for the F-16s plan to fall into place.
First, training must take place to ensure pilots can fly the aircraft.
And second, it’s important to think about how the F-16s will actually be delivered.
Bell added: “Although there’s lots of countries operating them because it’s so expensive, nobody has more aircraft than they need, and nobody could afford to give to 20 to 30 of these platforms to Ukraine.”
Which countries could provide F-16s?
At the moment, there are around 25 countries that currently operate the F-16.
The fighter jets come at a high price, and Bell says that although many countries have them, “none of them have spare aircraft.”
He adds: “They’re just too expensive. You generally buy what you can afford and that’s not enough for everything you want to have them for.
“So none of the nations will be able to get rid of excess jets. But I suspect what will happen is that they will need to focus on a commonality of jets.
“So who operates a certain block and a certain age of aircraft and see whether there is some shuffling behind the scenes that different countries can give each other aircraft so that you get a common aircraft that comes to Ukraine.”
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‘We have freedom, give us wings to protect it’
How soon could Ukraine start using them?
US officials have estimated that it could take 18 months for training and delivery of the jets.
On Monday, Emmanuel Macron said France was open to training Ukrainian pilots straight away.
London has agreed to start training pilots in the spring and said it would look at shortening the sessions for experienced Ukrainian pilots.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday: “This is not about gifting weapon systems.
“This is about gifting a platform. If anyone follows Formula One, you don’t just gift a car, you have to gift a pit team.”
US president-elect Donald Trump has suggested Israel and Hamas could agree a Gaza ceasefire by the end of the week.
Talks between Israeli and Hamas representatives resumed in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday, after US President Joe Biden indicated a deal to stop the fighting was “on the brink” on Monday.
A draft agreement has been sent to both sides. It includes provisions for the release of hostages and a phased Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
Qatar says Israel and Hamas are at their “closest point” yet to a ceasefire deal.
Two Hamas officials said the group has accepted the draft agreement, with Israel still considering the deal.
An Israeli official said a deal is close but “we are not there” yet.
More than 46,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its ground offensive in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Read more:
What’s in the proposed deal?
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on beachfront cafe in Deir al Balah. Pic: Reuters
Biden hails possibility of agreement
President Biden said it would include a hostage release deal and a “surge” of aid to Palestinians, in his final foreign policy speech as president.
“So many innocent people have been killed, so many communities have been destroyed. Palestinian people deserve peace,” he said.
“The deal would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel, and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started.”
Qatari mediators have sent Israel and Hamas a draft proposal for an agreement to halt the fighting.
Analysis:
Deal might be close, but there are many unanswered questions
Pic: Reuters
Trump: ‘We’re very close’
President-elect Donald Trump has also discussed a possible peace deal during a phone interview with the Newsmax channel.
“We’re very close to getting it done and they have to get it done,” he said.
“If they don’t get it done, there’s going to be a lot of trouble out there, a lot of trouble, like they have never seen before.
“And they will get it done. And I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished and maybe by the end of the week. But it has to take place, it has to take place.”
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Israeli official: Former Hamas leader held up deal
Speaking on Tuesday as negotiations resumed in Qatar, an anonymous Israeli official said that an agreement was “close, but we are not there”.
They accused Hamas of previously “dictating, not negotiating” but said this has changed in the last few weeks.
“Yahya Sinwar was the main obstacle for a deal,” they added.
Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind of the 7 October attacks, led Hamas following the assassination of his predecessor but was himself killed in October last year.
Under Sinwar, the Israeli official claimed, Hamas was “not in a rush” to bring a hostage deal but this has changed since his death and since the IDF “started to dismantle the Shia axis”.
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Biden: ‘Never, never, never, ever give up’
Iran ‘weaker than it’s been in decades’
Yesterday, President Biden also hailed Washington’s support for Israel during two Iranian attacks in 2024.
“All told, Iran is weaker than it’s been in decades,” the president said.
Mr Biden claimed America’s adversaries were weaker than when he took office four years ago and that the US was “winning the worldwide competition”.
“Compared to four years ago, America is stronger, our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are
weaker,” he said.
“We have not gone to war to make these things happen.”
The US president is expected to give a farewell address on Wednesday.
A draft ceasefire deal on the table between Israel and Hamas would see 33 hostages set free and a phased withdrawal of IDF forces from parts of Gaza.
President Joe Biden said an agreement to stop the fighting was “on the brink” and high level negotiations between the two sides resumed in Qatar on Tuesday.
The deal would see a number of things happen in a first stage, with negotiations for the second stage beginning in the third week of the ceasefire.
It would also allow a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been devastated by more than a year of war.
Details of what the draft proposal entails have been emerging on Tuesday, reported by Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages hold photos of their loved ones during a protest on 8 January. Pic: AP
Hostages to be returned
In the first stage of the potential ceasefire, 33 hostages would be set free.
These include women (including female soldiers), children, men over the age of 50, wounded and sick.
Israel believes most of these hostages are alive but there has not been any official confirmation from Hamas.
In return for the release of the hostages, Israel would free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
People serving long sentences for deadly attacks would be included in this but Hamas fighters who took part in the 7 October attack would not be released.
An arrangement to prevent Palestinian “terrorists” from going back to the West Bank would be included in the deal, an anonymous Israeli official said.
Read more:
A timeline of events since the 7 October attacks
The hostages who still haven’t returned home
Smoke billows as buildings lie in ruin in Beit Hanoun in Gaza. Pic: Reuters
Phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
The agreement also includes a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, with IDF troops remaining in the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages.
Security arrangements would be implemented at the Philadelphi corridor – a narrow strip of land that runs along the border between Egypt and Gaza – with Israel withdrawing from parts of it after the first few days of the deal.
The Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza would start to work gradually to allow the crossing of people who are sick and other humanitarian cases out of Gaza for treatment.
Unarmed North Gaza residents would be allowed to return to their homes, with a mechanism introduced to ensure no weapons are moved there.
“We will not leave the Gaza Strip until all our hostages are back home,” the Israeli official said.
What will happen to Gaza in the future?
There is less detail about the future of Gaza – from how it will be governed, to any guarantees that this agreement will bring a permanent end to the war.
“The only thing that can answer for now is that we are ready for a ceasefire,” the Israeli official said.
“This is a long ceasefire and the deal that is being discussed right now is for a long one. There is a big price for releasing the hostages and we are ready to pay this price.”
The international community has said Gaza must be run by Palestinians, but there has not been a consensus about how this should be done – and the draft ceasefire agreement does not seem to address this either.
In the past, Israel has said it will not end the war leaving Hamas in power. It also previously rejected the possibility of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited governing powers in the West Bank, from taking over the administration of Gaza.
Since the beginning of its military campaign in Gaza, Israel has also said it would retain security control over the territory after the fighting ends.
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