Belgium to supply Ukraine with F-16 munitions to counter jet-powered Shaheds – Defense Ministry
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The operation of an F-16 fighter jet on one of the front lines (Photo: Frontliner / Facebook)
Belgium plans to equip Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets with additional weapons to counter jet-powered drones by the end of 2026, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on Sept. 10.
Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara held talks with Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken, during which the two sides identified defense priorities through the end of 2026 and discussed further expanding military support.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said the talks included additional weapons for F-16 fighter jets that Ukrainian forces could use to intercept jet-powered drones.
Belgium continues to fulfill its commitments to supporting Ukrainian aviation. In particular, the country is helping repair F-16 fighter jets and providing the necessary spare parts.
During the talks, the two sides also discussed expanding cooperation on the production and use of drones, as well as implementing joint projects in the defense industry.
Khmara and Francken separately discussed increasing military assistance to Ukraine in 2027.
Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russia used five times as many jet-powered drones to attack Ukraine in July as it did in June.
On Aug. 30, Khmara said Ukraine currently has four potential interceptors capable of shooting down jet-powered Shahed drones.
On Sept. 3, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff focused primarily on accelerating all processes related to the production of high-speed interceptors to counter jet-powered Shahed drones.
He said Ukraine has manufacturers capable of carrying out the task. Prototypes have already been developed, and work is underway to bring the new weapons to the required level of effectiveness.
Defense Express analysts, meanwhile, said in a Sept. 6 article analyzing Russian jet-powered drone attacks that such UAVs are "already much closer to cruise missiles than to conventional Shahed drones."
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