No F-16s for Ukraine, Only
Pilot Training, says Pentagon
- Defensemirror.com Bureau
- 04:19 AM, May 24, 2023
- 153
Pentagon Press Secretary U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder
F-16s fighters will not be available to Ukraine in
its counter-offensive against Russia even as NATO states have approved a plan
to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the U.S-made fighter jets.
Today, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig.
Gen. Pat Ryder explained in further detail that the training, and any eventual
transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine is meant to support mid- and long-term
defense needs, rather than defense in the short term for an expected
counter-offensive against Russian forces.
"F-16s for Ukraine is about the
long-term commitment to Ukraine," Ryder
said. "These
F-16s will not be relevant to the upcoming counter offensive."
Earlier, European nations such as Norway which are
planning to get rid of their F-16s as they upgrade to the more competent F-35
jets, have politely declined Kyiv’s request to donate their F-16s to help fight
Russia.
Right now, no number of F-16s, any indication of
where those aircraft will come from, or when they will be delivered, has been
revealed. What has been revealed, however, is that the U.S. will participate
with partners and allies in training Ukrainian pilots on how to use the aircraft.
"That training will take place
outside of Ukraine at sites in Europe," Ryder said. "But in terms of ... when that training will
begin, how those jets will be provided, who will provide them, we're continuing
to work with our international partners on that front."
Related news: Training of Ukrainian pilots on
F-16s Commences in Poland, other European Countries
For
some time, F-16s were not on the table for Ukraine. But recently, the U.S.
agreed that partner nations can train Ukrainians on use of the aircraft. At the
last Ukraine Defense Contact Group in April, Ryder said, Secretary of Defense
Lloyd J. Austin III received several requests from countries who wanted U.S.
permission to train Ukrainians on the F-16.
F-16 Fighting
Falcon
The F-16 aircraft is an American weapon system,
and in the same way that nations who want the F-16 must work with the U.S. to
acquire it, foreign military sales agreements also mean that those who own the
F-16 must seek permission from the U.S. before they transfer those aircraft to
other nations.
Training on the F-16, Ryder said, might begin in
the next few weeks or months, though he couldn’t yet say exactly who would be
doing the training, where — besides in Europe — that the training would happen,
or where the aircraft required for training would come from. He did say the
U.S. would be involved, however.
"As a U.S.-built platform,
clearly exportability aspects, technology transfer aspects, are things that
we'll be looking at as well — working with our allies and partners on that
front," he said. "We'll have much more to follow
in the days ahead."
Since the very first meeting of the Ukraine
Defense Contact Group in April 2022, the DOD has said the focus is not just on
Ukraine's immediate defense needs — but its long-term defense needs. The
F-16 training and any eventual transfer of aircraft to Ukraine, will be part of
that long-term support plan.
"The fight right now is to ensure
that they are able to successfully defend themselves while at the same time
taking back sovereign territory," Ryder
said. "But
we look forward to a long-term relationship with Ukraine in terms of their
security assistance needs, and again, with the idea here that they can secure
their hard-won gains and deter future aggression by Russia."
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