US approves $310 million sale of F-16 parts to Ukraine
3 May 01:25
The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of fighter jet training and technical equipment to Ukraine for $310 million. This was reported by the Office of Military Cooperation of the US Department of Defense, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
According to the US Department of Defense, the package includes:
- modernization of aircraft;
- training of personnel in the operation, maintenance and support of fighters;
- spare parts, repairs; ground equipment;
- engineering, technical and logistics support from the US government and contractors, etc.
The main contractors are Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, BAE Systems and AAR Corporation, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The statement said the sale will support US foreign policy and national security goals. It will improve the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.
“The proposed sale will improve Ukraine’s ability to confront current and future threats by providing effective training for its pilots and increasing its interoperability with the United States through comprehensive training with the US Air Force,” the Pentagon said.
Earlier it became known that the US State Department had submitted a notice to Congress of an arms export license for Ukraine. At the time, it was about exporting defense goods worth $50 million or more.
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F-16 for Ukraine
The United States has led the Ukrainian Air Force Development Capability Coalition in the management of F-16 multi-role fighters. The Netherlands and Denmark became co-chairs.
In August last year, Denmark and the Netherlands promised to provide Ukraine with 61 F-16 fighters. However, on August 20, 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after talks with then-Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, said that Ukraine would receive a total of 42 American F-16s.
In order for the delivery to begin, it was necessary for Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel to be trained and for Ukraine to prepare the infrastructure. As reported by , in May 2024, the first group of Ukrainian pilots completed their F-16 training in the United States and headed to Europe.
Although the first aircraft arrived in August, things are not moving quickly. For example, Belgium plans to hand over most of the aircraft in 2025. Meanwhile, Ukraine has begun to lose even the units it has.
It is not known for certain how many F-16s are currently in service in Ukraine. In total, Ukraine has been promised more than a hundred F-16s, but at some point.
