WSJ: Maintenance delays in Belgium leave much of Ukraine's F-16 fleet unavailable

Ukraine relies on F-16 fighter jets to intercept Russian aerial targets, including new jet-powered drones that are too fast for some of the drone interceptors used against older Shahed models.

F-16s require a phased inspection after roughly 300 flight hours, covering their engines, avionics, hydraulics, fuel lines and other systems. The United States contracted Belgian company Sabena Aerospace Engineering to maintain Ukraine's aircraft under a deal worth up to $235.5 million.

Such inspections typically take two to six weeks in the United States, but the process in Belgium can take as long as 40 weeks, retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery told the WSJ.

A Western source cited by the newspaper said more than half of Ukraine's F-16 fleet is currently affected by maintenance issues. At the current pace of operations and servicing, Ukraine could exhaust its remaining available aircraft by the end of the year, according to the report.

Sabena declined to answer the WSJ's specific questions, citing operational security and the sensitive nature of its military support work. The newspaper noted that aircraft used in combat may require more maintenance than those operating in peacetime and that shortages of specific components could also contribute to delays.

The maintenance bottleneck comes as Russia rapidly expands its use of jet-powered drones. The WSJ said Russia launched about 2,000 such drones at Ukraine in September, compared with roughly 350 in June.