USA: possible transfer of F-16 to kyiv soon

Posted On: August 18, 2023

Both countries have been assured that permit applications will be expedited so that the fighter jets can be delivered to kyiv once the training of the Ukrainian pilots and technicians is complete. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the US State Department of the dpa in Washington. “We are grateful that Denmark and the Netherlands are leading this coalition to train Ukrainian pilots,” he said.

In May, the Netherlands and Britain agreed to build an international coalition to equip Kiev with fighter jets:

F-16 delivery debate: Netherlands and UK advanced in May

05/17/2023 | 01:38 minutes

Ukraine had previously stated that it would no longer expect the long-awaited F-16 jets this year. “It is obvious that we cannot defend Ukraine with F-16s this fall and winter,” Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Ukrainian television.

After all, it is progress that Ukrainian pilots and technicians can start training on the planes “in the near future,” Ihnat was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media on Thursday night.

A coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands formed within NATO in the summer to train Ukrainian pilots in the use of the F-16. The United States also agreed to this. It was said at the time that the aircraft could also be sold later from stocks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark or Norway.

Military expert Keupp explains what Ukraine’s military success could depend on:

The success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is not a matter of speed, says military expert Keupp. It is more important to permanently cut off supplies for the Russian troops.

09.08.2023 | 20:10 minutes

The United States must authorize the delivery of its allies’ military planes to Ukraine because the machines are being built by the US company Lockheed Martin and have sensitive technology on board. That’s why Washington has a say in who gets trained. However, the promised training among those involved has not yet been organized.

The current ground offensive of Ukrainian troops suffers from a lack of air protection and is advancing less quickly than kyiv expected.

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