Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery said phase inspections taking two to six weeks in the U.S. are taking as long as 40 weeks in Belgium. Sabena uses subcontractors to perform portions of the maintenance work under the American agreement, while a Ukrainian air force spokesman declined to comment on the status of the fleet.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Over Half of Ukraine F-16s Grounded in Belgian Maintenance Limbo
War21 days ago
The U.S. government awarded a contract of up to $235.5 million to Sabena Aerospace Engineering to maintain fighter jets provided to Ukraine. More than half of those aircraft are currently grounded in maintenance limbo, and Kyiv will exhaust the remaining operational F-16s by the end of the year if current usage and repair rates continue.
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