(Dan Tri) – The US has approved sending modern F-16 fighters to Ukraine and the transfer will take place after Ukrainian pilots complete the training course, but Kiev is still having a headache with this problem.
President Zelensky at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands in early August (Photo: EPA).
Since the outbreak of hostilities, Ukraine has campaigned for a long time to convince the US and its allies to provide F-16 aid in the hope that this modern fighter will help Kiev’s forces cope with the force.
Kiev has increasingly urgently called on the West to provide F-16s as it has launched a large-scale counter-offensive campaign in recent months with the goal of regaining territories controlled by Russia.
Ukraine’s sense of urgency in its efforts to acquire this advanced fighter reflects concerns about the current war situation as well as the geopolitical situation in the West.
The US has approved sending modern F-16 fighters to Ukraine as requested and the transfer will take place after Ukrainian pilots complete training, but Kiev is still having a headache with this problem.
The F-16 fighters will not be delivered to Ukraine until next year.
During this trip, when arriving in Denmark, President Zelensky praised the host country’s government for `helping Ukraine become invincible` with its commitment to send 19 F-16s.
Within days of returning to Kiev, Mr. Zelensky received commitments from many Western countries to supply F-16s, possibly more than 60, or to provide training for pilots and support crews.
`This is important and necessary,` Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway told Mr. Zelensky in Kiev, announcing that his government would provide an unspecified number of F-16s, possibly
It was a remarkable round of victory in the problem of calling for the supply of this modern fighter from Kiev, which even the Ukrainian Defense Minister admitted was unlikely to be used until next spring, and even
As Ukraine’s counteroffensive progressed slowly this summer, Mr. Zelensky’s announcements about acquiring the F-16 signaled a tacit admission that the more than 18-month war in Ukraine could
It was also a clear signal that Mr. Zelensky is focusing on a fighter that is more powerful and flexible than existing types, but that has sparked debate over whether it could advance
The F-16 has both offensive and defensive capabilities and is equipped to shoot down incoming enemy aircraft and missiles.
Operating Western warplanes is expensive and it can take years to educate and train enough pilots to provide the necessary close air support.
Geopolitical concerns change
As it pushes Western countries to supply F-16s, Ukraine is also sensing the changing geopolitical situation, current and former officials in Kiev and Washington said.
Mr. Zelensky seems to be trying to push countries to deliver as many F-16s as possible before elections in Europe and the US because the results of these elections could bring about a change in the government’s stance.
For example, the Netherlands has pledged to supply Ukraine with up to 42 F-16s, which it is phasing out of its air force, and it will hold parliamentary elections this November.
However, the bigger concern is the US, where the Republican Party is tending to gradually reduce support for Ukraine.
President Zelensky (left) met with US Senators in Kiev in early August (Photo: Reuters).
`America’s political turmoil is weighing heavily on the minds of Ukrainians and all of Europe,` said Republican senator Richard Blumenthal, who met with Mr. Zelensky in Kiev last week, adding: `
So far, President Joe Biden’s administration has not sent Ukraine any F-16s from its fleet, although it announced last week that it would train pilots at air bases in Texas
It is expected that it will take at least four months to train Ukrainian pilots on more advanced aircraft.
There is another problem in the aircraft supply plan.
A former senior official of President Biden’s administration said that Mr. Zelensky’s continuous announcement of a series of commitments on the F-16 may be intended to block Western commitments if Kiev’s counterattack is slow.
President Zelensky’s sense of insecurity and urgency is clearly shown.
Ukraine lacks qualified military pilots
Many air forces in European countries have F-16s and are phasing them out in favor of the even more advanced F-35.
An F-16 at Skrydstrup air base in the town of Vojens, Denmark in a photo taken in August (Photo: Reuters).
However, the immediate obstacle to the promised deployment of F-16s is Ukraine’s lack of qualified military pilots and aircrew to support their flight and maintenance.
A former senior US Air Force officer said it takes between eight and 14 support personnel to maintain, fuel and support each F-16, depending on the number of bases at which it operates.
US officials said that so far, only eight Ukrainian pilots have enough English proficiency and experience flying fighter jets to begin training on the F-16 in Denmark.
Even Ukrainian pilots skilled at flying the Soviet-era MiG-29 jets, which make up the majority of Kiev’s current fleet, will have to learn how to navigate the `throttle and joystick` technology.
`All of that will take time and probably will not be completed before the end of this year,` said General James B. Hecker, the top US air force commander in Europe.
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