Ukraine Receives Bohdana Howitzers, Additional F-16 Jets and SAMP/T Air Defense System Expected Soon

Ukraine took delivery of 18 Bohdana howitzers today and is set to receive additional F-16 fighters and a second SAMP/T air defense battery soon.

Ukraine's Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, has reportedly announced that Denmark will deliver another batch of F-16 fighter jets by the end of the year, without disclosing the number for security reasons.

"Denmark will deliver an additional contribution of F-16 aircraft in the second half of 2024," Poulsen said in a comment to the Ritzau news agency following his visit to Kyiv.

This follows Ukraine's first F-16 delivery in late July, a year after Denmark, the Netherlands, and others launched the fighter jet coalition. Denmark pledged 19 F-16s, with the initial batch confirmed to include Danish aircraft, according to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Ukraine has deployed F-16s against Russian aerial attacks, suffering one loss in a crash. Additional commitments include 24 F-16s from the Netherlands, six from Norway, and 30 from Belgium. President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously stated that Ukraine needs at least 128 F-16s to counter Russian air power.

Kyiv today took delivery of 18 Ukraine-made Bohdana self-propelled howitzers, financed by Denmark. All ordered systems were handed over to Ukrainian forces two months after the deal was funded. Denmark became the first country to invest in Ukraine's defense industry development. “The Danish model of investment has proven to be an effective tool to strengthen our army,” the Ukrainian defense ministry said in a release.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Italy will reportedly soon send Ukraine a second SAMP/T air defense battery, with the delivery expected in the near future. In June, Italy confirmed it would send a second SAMP/T air defense battery to Ukraine. The SAMP/T is a truck-based tactical anti-missile system designed to destroy hostile cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft, and tactical ballistic missiles.