The Netherlands says goodbye to the F-16: a ceremonial video of the final flight.

The Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands held a ceremonial farewell for the last F-16 fighter jets, which had been used in the Royal Air Force for 45 years. The military department itself reported this on its website.

This ceremony took place at the Volkel airbase, where six aircraft performed a farewell flight over important military installations in the Netherlands. During the event, one of the planes, which had special livery in honor of the 45th anniversary, flew over the Leeuwarden, Gilze-Rijen, and Eindhoven bases.

The F-16 fighters will be replaced by the more modern F-35A Lightning II, which will enhance the effectiveness of the country's air force. During their service, the Netherlands received 213 F-16 aircraft, which were actively used in numerous international missions.

This event is significant both for the aviation community and for Ukraine. Many of the decommissioned aircraft may be used in Ukraine or displayed in museums

As stated by the country's Ministry of Defense: "The Netherlands will gift the last F-16s to Ukraine to fight the Russians."

It was previously known that six F-16 fighters, which were supplied to strengthen Ukraine's air defense, arrived from the Netherlands, and several more planes will soon join from Denmark.

It is worth mentioning that Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schof promised to find ways to return Ukrainian male prisoners of war home.

In addition, the Netherlands will soon hand over three launchers for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine.