Ukraine's Defense Ministry believes the country needs 48 US-made F-16 fighters to repel Russian forces on the battlefield.
"Four F-16 squadrons with a total of 48 aircraft are exactly what we need to repel the enemy from our territory," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry posted on Twitter on May 26.
US F-16 fighter jets deployed to Poland in 2016. Photo: USAF
The statement came a day after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Denmark and the Netherlands had "decided to take the lead" in developing a plan to train Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 fighter jets, with several other countries also pledging support.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said countries could transfer 10 F-16 fighters to Ukraine and that the effort would cost about $2 billion. "It would cost a billion dollars to buy these fighters, and another billion dollars to keep them operating," he said.
Asked whether the US Congress would provide funding for Ukraine to receive F-16 fighters, Secretary Austin said "this is an international effort." Meanwhile, General Milley and other US military leaders have insisted that modern fighters are not the key to changing the course of the conflict in Ukraine. "There is no such thing as a miracle weapon, the F-16 or any weapon," he said.
The F-16 multi-role fighter, developed by General Dynamics since the 1970s, is used by the US and a number of its allies. Each F-16 costs around 30-35 million USD depending on the variant, but customers can pay more or less depending on the number of orders, economic and political conditions and other factors.
White House officials said on May 20 that President Joe Biden pledged to support allies and partners in training pilots and transferring F-16 fighters to Ukraine. The coalition of countries participating in the effort "will decide when to transfer the fighters, the number and the supplier."
The decision is considered particularly important, as allies need Washington's approval to re-export US-made weapons and military equipment to third countries.
Vu Anh (According to Ukrainska Pravda )
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