The United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russian invaders as soon as pilot training is completed, a US official said on Thursday, as quoted by Reuters.
Ukraine has repeatedly sought American-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority.
Washington has formally assured Denmark and the Netherlands that the United States will expedite approval of requests to transfer F-16s to Ukraine once the pilots are trained, the official said.
Denmark and the Netherlands have recently requested these guarantees. The US must approve the transfer of military aircraft of its allies to Ukraine.
This month, a coalition of 11 countries was to begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in Denmark.
Denmark’s Acting Defense Minister Troels Poulsen said in July that the country hopes to see “results” of the exercise in early 2024.
NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands led an international effort to train pilots and maintenance personnel, maintain the aircraft, and eventually allowed Ukraine to obtain F-16s for use in the war with Russia.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sent letters to his Danish and Dutch counterparts assuring them the requests would be approved, a US official said.
“I am writing to express the full support of the United States for both the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors,” Blinken said in a letter to two officials, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.
Blinken said that “it remains vital that Ukraine is able to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression and violations of its sovereignty.”
According to him, the approval of the requests will allow Ukraine “to take advantage of its new capabilities as soon as the first batch of pilots completes their training.”
US President Joe Biden in May supported training programs for Ukrainian F-16 pilots. In addition to training in Denmark, a training center was to be established in Romania.
Kyiv will not be able to operate American F-16 fighter jets this fall and winter, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said on Ukrainian television on Wednesday evening.
U.S. officials have said privately that the F-16s will not be of much use to Ukraine in the current counteroffensive and will not be a game-changer when they arrive, given Russia’s air defense systems and disputed airspace over Ukraine.
F-16 jets are manufactured by Lockheed Martin. (news.ro)
Source: Hot News
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