The Royal Danish Air Force is saying goodbye to the last of its F-16 Fighting Falcons as the final 'Viper' squadron transitions to the new F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. The impeccably maintained jets are nowhere near the end of their service lives, so with many good years still left in the airframes, Denmark has promised to donate 19 to the Ukrainian Air Force(UkrAF).
The War Zone reported that the last F-16s of Squadron 727 departed for their farewell flight on January 18 from Skrydstrup Air Base. Soon, these valuable fourth-generation light fighters will be defending the skies over Kyiv from invaders as they perform air interceptions, ground strikes, and shoot down Russian drones.
Strengthening Ukraine’s Shield
The Viper fighter jets have made a considerable improvement to Ukraine’s Air Defenses, as much more modern, reliable, and effective than the old ex-Soviet fighters the country was flying at the outset of the invasion. However, at least four F-16s have been lost in action, with three pilots losing their lives. These include Lieutenant Colonel Oleksii Mes, call sign 'Moonfish,' who was the face of the UkrAF campaign to acquire the jets and one of the first pilots trained to fly them.
The UkrAf still operates Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum multirole fighters and Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker interceptors in its fleet. The more advanced F-16s are a significant upgrade for the small air force, which is not only battling with the world’s second-largest air power but is also far outclassed on a one-to-one basis. Every time they launch on a sortie, Ukrainian pilots go head-to-head against fighters like the advanced, supermaneuverable Su-35 Super Flanker or even the Su-57 Felon stealth fighter, which have reportedly been seen closer to the front as well.
The frontline is heavily saturated with air defense, drones, and manned aircraft on both sides, but the Russian Air Force has both a colossal quantitative and qualitative advantage. In a video released by the UkrAF on YouTube two weeks ago, one F-16 pilot described how Ukrainian pilots use every tactic and tool at their disposal in the face of an overwhelming adversary to stave off attacks against their people by Russian attackers. He says:
“[We] have to use maneuver tactics when enemy aircraft come at us, lock us up, and launch air-to-air missiles at our planes. But regardless of this, with these limited capabilities, we carry out the task. We know that we are taking a risk.”
Vipers Incoming
Denmark and the Netherlands were the first nations to pledge deliveries of F-16 fighters to Ukraine after rounds of negotiations between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members and the United States in 2023. Since then, two more countries have joined as well, with Belgium and Norway promising to donate 30 and 14 Vipers, respectively. Adding to the 24 Dutch and 19 Danish jets, that brings the total number of F-16s promised to the UkrAF to 87.
President Zelenskyy of Ukraine confirmed the Vipers’ combat debut took place later that summer on August 27, 2024. In the 16 months that have followed, Ukrainian pilots have destroyed over 1,000 aerial targets and as many ground targets in defense of their besieged homeland. AeroTime reported in May 2025 that the Netherlands had completed the transfer of all 24 General Dynamics F-16s it pledged to Ukraine.
As of January 2026, the statistical reporting portal World Population Review shows that Russia is armed with 4,292 military aircraft of all types, while Ukraine can muster only 324 airframes. Breaking that number down to just fighters, the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft lists 1,008 tactical jets in the Russian inventory, with the UkrAF having, at most, 103 fighter jets in total.
The US Is Sending Retired F-16s To Ukraine As Spare Parts
The jets were transported across the Atlantic last week on an Antonov cargo plane.
The Human Cost
Lieutenant Colonel 'Moonfish' Mes was posthumously awarded the title 'Hero of Ukraine' for his valor on the battlefield after losing his life while shooting down three cruise missiles and one uncrewed combat aerial vehicle. After-action reports showed that while a missile exploded in proximity to Moonfish’s F-16, it did not appear to be the cause of his crash.
Instead, it is believed that Moonfish lost control while maneuvering. In the wake of his death, training programs held in host nations, like the United States and the United Kingdom, were reassessed to ensure that all aircrew would receive more thorough instruction. Despite overhauled training regimens, the battle to defend Ukraine has continued to take its toll on the brave men and women in harm's way.