U.S. mulls F‑16 sale to Colombia, causing Ukrainian concern

In 2023, with the consent of the United States, 24 F-16 fighters retired from the Danish army were sent to Argentina. Defence Express noted that the latest reports do not sound positive for Ukraine. Ukrainians are concerned about F-16 deliveries.

Colombia was offered a deal involving eight used F-16s with Mid-Life Update (MLU) packages, similar to those the "aviation coalition" pledged to deliver to Ukraine.Thanks to the MLU, the F-16 fighters received modifications, such as updated avionics and better radars with active phased array scanning.

They were also adapted to use a more diverse arsenal, including AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles with a range of over 60 miles.F-16s, whose production started in 1976, are vastly superior in capabilities compared to what Ukrainian aviation had before the outbreak of the war. The aircraft, produced by Lockheed Martin, are nearly 49 feet long and can reach speeds of up to Mach 2 (over 1300 mph). One Ukrainian pilot described the experience of using an F-16 in an interview with CNN, stating they are precision fighters like a "Swiss Army knife".

The Defence Express portal points out that the aircraft for Colombia will most likely come from Europe, where versions with MLU packages are common. It is precisely the countries of the Old Continent that are the donors of F-16s for Ukraine. Ukrainian journalists explicitly say that there is a real threat that the plan to receive 19 aircraft from Denmark, 30 from Belgium, 24 from the Netherlands, and 6 from Norway may no longer be adjusted in favor of Kyiv.

In regard to the United States' involvement with Colombian air forces, there is mention of the White House administration's reluctance to allow competitors into the South American market. In the case of Argentina, there was concern over a contract with China, while Colombia had shown interest in jets from Sweden.