A bipartisan group of senators have asked the Pentagon for more information on the factors around potentially providing F-16 fighter jets to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion.
In a March 14 letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the lawmakers cite the
Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built F-16 as a potential “game changer on the battlefield,” while the Biden administration has yet to commit to providing combat aircraft for Ukraine.
“We are now at a critical juncture in the conflict. And it’s imperative that the United States continue to carefully assess what capabilities we can provide to ensure Ukraine is able to defeat the Russians on the battlefield,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “After speaking with U.S., Ukrainian, and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the U.S. needs to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. This would be a significant capability that could prove to be a game changer on the battlefield.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) led the letter, which was also signed by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
In late January, President Biden responded “no” when asked by a reporter about the potential for the U.S. to provide F-16s to assist Ukraine (Defense Daily, Jan. 30).
During remarks at the top of a meeting with Austin last month, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reiterated the request for the U.S. to provide Kyiv with fighter jets, specifically citing F-15 or F-16 aircraft (Defense Daily, April 12).
“To defend ourselves and defend Europe, we need more heavy equipment but also aircraft,” Shmyhal said at the time, according to a transcript of his remarks at the Pentagon. “In modern warfare, air superiority is crucial. That is why Ukraine is initiating the building of a new so-called fighter jet coalition and we are inviting the United States to become its most important participant. America can, once again, demonstrate its leadership by providing Ukraine with F-15 or F-16 aircrafts.”
The group of senators ask for specifics from Austin on how combat aircraft has ranked among the priority systems to provide Ukraine, how a recent EUCOM-led tabletop exercise informed the assessment on how the platform would impact the conflict and details on the capabilities the F-16 would offer Ukraine’s air forces.
The lawmakers also want to know if F-16s would be pulled from existing inventories or if they’d be new production aircraft, whether the department has considered restoring retired F-16s or potentially transferring aircraft from international partners’ inventories.
The letter also calls for an assessment of how quickly Ukrainians pilots could be trained to operate F-16s, noting two pilots have visited Morris Air National Guard Base in Arizona to test on an F-16 simulator.
“This is a critical step in gauging the readiness of Ukrainian pilots to receive Western 4th generation fighters, but there are a number of other important factors that must be evaluated and considered,” the lawmakers wrote.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh was asked during a press briefing on Thursday whether the department has any update on its position regarding potentially providing F-16s to Ukraine.
“Our priority has been giving Ukraine the air defense systems that they need and also their other priorities include armor and artillery. That’s what we’ve been focused on with our packages. But when it comes to F-16s, I just have nothing new to announce today,” Singh told reporters.
Colin Kahl, under secretary of defense for policy, has previously addressed the U.S.’ decision not to include fighter aircraft in security assistance packages for Ukraine, telling lawmakers the systems are not among the top three priorities the country needs in its war against Russia and the costs of these systems have to be weighed against nearer term needs (Defense Daily, Feb. 28).
During a House Armed Services Committee hearing in late February, Kahl said Ukraine has asked for upward of 128 U.S.-made 4th generation fighter aircraft, to include a mix of F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s.
Kahl is set to step down from his post as the Pentagon’s top policy official in mid-July, Austin announced on Wednesday (Defense Daily, May 17).
Poland and Slovakia recently announced plans to provide Ukraine with Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets.