In a significant development, the United States has given its nod for the deployment of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine, aimed at fortifying the country’s defense against potential threats from Russia.
As reported by Reuters, these F-16 jets are slated to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities against Russian forces. The deployment will occur subsequent to the successful completion of pilot training, as confirmed by a statement from a US official on Thursday.
Ukraine has been actively seeking the inclusion of US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets to augment its readiness in countering Russia’s aerial dominance.
The United States has formally assured Denmark and the Netherlands that it will expedite the process of approving the necessary third-party transfer requests for the F-16s designated for Ukraine. This streamlined approach will facilitate the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine once the pilot training phase concludes.
It was further highlighted by Reuters that Denmark and the Netherlands, the lead countries in the training coalition, had recently requested these assurances.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has corresponded with his Danish and Dutch counterparts, affirming that the requests would receive approval. In a letter seen by Reuters, Blinken stated, “I am writing to express the United States’ full support for both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and for the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors.”
Blinken underlined, “It remains critical that Ukraine is able to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression and violation of its sovereignty.”
The green light for third-party requests’ approval will empower Ukraine to capitalize on its newfound capabilities as soon as the initial group of pilots concludes their training, according to Blinken.
US President Joe Biden had already endorsed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May, though no specific timeline for the aircraft supply had been provided. Notably, the F-16 is manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
Source: With Agencies