US approves sending F-16 fighter jets from Denmark & Netherlands to Ukraine: Report

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has announced that United States has granted approval for transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and Nerlands. transfer will take place once pilot training is finished.

According to a letter sent to Blinken's counterparts in Denmark and Nerlands, Washington will prioritise and accelerate process of approving transfer requests for F-16s, reported Guardian. It is a requirement that US approves transfer of se military aircraft from its allied nations to Ukraine.

“I am writing to express United States’ full support for both transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and for training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors,” Blinken said in letter.

“It remains critical that Ukraine is able to defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression and violation of its sovereignty.”

In May, US President Joe Biden gave his support to training initiatives for Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16s. Alongside Denmark, plans were me to establish a training center in Romania. In response to this endorsement, Russia expressed concerns, asserting that supplying F-16s to Ukraine posed significant risks to Western countries.

A coalition consisting of 11 nations is set to commence training Ukrainian pilots for F-16 aircraft this month in Denmark. Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark's acting defence minister, mentioned in July that y anticipate observing "results" from training by early 2024.

Ukraine unconvinced of F-16s delivery this year

recent approval from US comes just one day after Ukraine stated that, considering current timeline, it would not be in a position to have jets operational by autumn or winter seasons.

“It’s alrey obvious we won’t be able to defend Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets during this autumn and winter,” Ukraine air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television late on Wednesday. “We h big hopes for this plane, that it will become part of air defence, able to protect us from Russia’s missiles and drones terrorism.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said: “Ukrainian pilots will return from training, and planes will come back with m.”

Blinken wrote that approval of requests would allow Ukraine to take “full vantage of its new capabilities as soon as first set of pilots complete ir training”. On July 12, Kuleba indicated that F-16s were projected to become operational in Ukraine, with trained pilots capable of flying m, by March 2024.

F-16s jets to have limited impact in Ukraine's counteroffensive

At onset of conflict, Ukraine possessed a modest air force comprising Soviet-standard jets. To enhance its capabilities against Russian air dominance, Ukraine actively pursued acquisition of US-manufactured F-16 fighters. However, US officials have indicated that F-16 jets would have limited impact on Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive and would not significantly alter situation upon ir eventual deployment. This assessment considers presence of Russian air defense systems and contested airspace over Ukraine.

US has also highlighted challenges related to identifying a sufficient number of pilots proficient in English, a requirement for completing training. According to a report from New York Times, only eight combat pilots, insufficient for forming a squron, have been identified thus far, as cited from American officials. Approximately 20 ditional pilots are being dispatched to UK this month to reportedly acquire English terminology necessary for operating jets.