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<p class="text-body text-muted small">Both the Netherlands (pictured) and Denmark have F-16s that are shortly to be replaced in national service by the F-35, which would be well suited to Ukraine’s needs. (Chris Croot)</p>
<p>Following the recent announcement by the United States that it would now support a transfer of Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft to Ukraine, attention has turned to possible donors.</p>
<p>Norway’s fleet of 57 aircraft was retired in January 2022, with 32 sold to Romania and 12 to US firm Draken International. A handful of unsold jets may be available for transfer but their condition is not known. This leaves the Dutch and Danish F-16 fleets as the current in-service frontrunners for transfer.</p>
<p>The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) operates a fleet of 29 F-16AM/BM Block 15 mid-life upgrade (MLU) aircraft, while the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) maintains around 40 F-16AM/BMs also upgraded to the MLU standard.</p>
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The MLU package was developed for European operators to bring their fighters to a standard comparable to
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the US Air Force’s F-16 Block 50/52. The package devised in the late 1990s and introduced in the early 2000s was intended to keep the aircraft relevant until the mid-2010s and so introduced a raft of substantial changes.
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<p>The upgrade added a new processor to the AN/APG-66 radar, an improved-range identification friend-or-foe (IFF) enhancing beyond visual range (BVR) situational awareness, and a new modular mission computer, which allows continuous upgrades and addition of new weapons and sensors.</p>
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