US and allies to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

The US and its allies plan to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, a White House official has mentioned.

The timing for when Ukraine will obtain the jets – and which international locations will present them – stays unclear, however the official mentioned the planes is not going to be used for Ukraine’s upcoming counteroffensive in opposition to Russia.

The US and its allies will “decide when to actually provide jets, how many we will provide, and who will provide them”, the official mentioned.

The transfer comes after US President Joe Biden beforehand refused requests from Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the plane.

The Ukrainian president regularly asks world leaders for fighter plane, which till now have been rebuffed.

On a go to to London he even introduced the speaker of the commons with a Ukrainian airforce helmet to strengthen his level.

Western leaders have argued that coaching on the plane would take too lengthy. It would even be among the most refined {hardware} offered for Ukraine, elevating the stakes between Russia and the West.

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It is known the F-16s could not essentially come from the US.

The transfer is a part of a long-term effort to strengthen the nation’s safety, the official added.

“Discussions about improving the Ukrainian Air Force reflect our long-term commitment to Ukraine’s self-defence,” the senior Biden administration official mentioned.

Mr Biden mentioned in an interview with ABC News in February that US navy recommendation confirmed Ukraine didn’t want F-16s on the time.

“I’m ruling it out for now,” he mentioned.

However, Mr Biden knowledgeable G7 leaders on Friday that the US will help efforts to coach Ukrainian pilots the best way to fly F-16s.

The effort to coach Ukrainian pilots on the jets may begin within the coming weeks, the official mentioned.

The coaching will “take place outside Ukraine at sites in Europe and will require months to complete”, the official added.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte mentioned: “Together with my British, Danish and Belgian colleagues we welcome the news that the United States stands ready to approve the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighterjets.”

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Colin Kahl, the Pentagon’s prime coverage official, beforehand informed Congress that coaching Ukrainian pilots on F-16s may take “about 18 months”.

Other US defence officers have mentioned the coaching may very well be shortened to solely six to 9 months based mostly on pilots’ earlier coaching and data of fighter plane.

Mr Kahl has beforehand mentioned that it may price as much as $11bn (£9bn) to revitalise Ukraine’s navy with F-16 jets.

G7 leaders haven’t introduced who would pay to supply Ukraine with the planes.

In March, NBC News reported that two Ukrainian pilots had been within the US present process an evaluation to find out how lengthy it may take to coach them to fly assault plane, together with F-16s.

Washington had additionally accepted bringing as much as 10 extra Ukrainian pilots to the US for additional evaluation.