F-16 transfers to Ukraine are underway, White House says

[mystery-ak]

F-16 transfers to Ukraine are underway, White House says

Jacob Knutson


U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Ukraine and could aid in Kyiv's defense against Russia as soon as this summer, the White House said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The long-sought transfers come over a year after Ukraine asked it allies for advanced fighter jets, particularly F-16s.

What they're saying: "As we speak, the transfer of F-16 jets are underway, coming from Denmark, coming from the Netherlands," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an interview at the NATO forum on Wednesday.

    "And those jets will be flying in the skies of Ukraine this summer to make sure that Ukraine can continue to effectively defend itself against the Russian aggression."

Zoom in: The White House said the transfers will eventually include "squadrons" of modern fourth generation F-16 multi-role aircraft.

    The jets will be donated by Denmark and the Netherlands.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for additional details.

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[PeteS in CA]

Wolf-cries aside, Ukrainian pilots have been training on F-16s' capabilities (they are down-rev "A" versions, IIRC) and corresponding tactics (for which they were designed) for a year or more. It will be interesting to see, if it is reported, how Ukrainian pilots blend the F-16's capabilities, western tactics, and the tactics they have been using for years on Soviet-design planes.

As an aside, the US learned an amazing amount from our cooperation and alliance with Israel about the capabilities of 60s and 70s Soviet planes and corresponding Soviet tactics. The same has been happening in the past nearly two and a half years, knowledge and understanding probably worth much more than the $$ value of the aid Ukraine has received from the west (not that isolationists and Ukraine-Haters would admit this ... any more than Irael-Haters admitted it in the 70s and 80s).

[Kamaji]

Wolf-cries aside, Ukrainian pilots have been training on F-16s' capabilities (they are down-rev "A" versions, IIRC) and corresponding tactics (for which they were designed) for a year or more. It will be interesting to see, if it is reported, how Ukrainian pilots blend the F-16's capabilities, western tactics, and the tactics they have been using for years on Soviet-design planes.

As an aside, the US learned an amazing amount from our cooperation and alliance with Israel about the capabilities of 60s and 70s Soviet planes and corresponding Soviet tactics. The same has been happening in the past nearly two and a half years, knowledge and understanding probably worth much more than the $$ value of the aid Ukraine has received from the west (not that isolationists and Ukraine-Haters would admit this ... any more than Irael-Haters admitted it in the 70s and 80s).

[PeteS in CA]

Ukraine has been hitting SAM systems pretty heavily of late, especially in Crimea. This creates gaps and attack corridors for drones and missiles, but it also reduces the risk in operating F-16s and other planes.