Air Force explains why West sees no reason for F-16 delivery to Ukraine now
Photo: Spokesperson for the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat (mil.in.ua)
Western countries currently see no sense in delivering F-16s to Ukraine as the aircraft would be in the crosshairs of the enemy. Ukraine must be one hundred percent ready for such deliveries, says the spokesperson for the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat.
Ihnat was asked to comment on information from Western analysts that the first F-16s could be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year.
Ihnat reminded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. The head of the Dutch government stated that his country would prepare the first 18 fighter jets for delivery to Ukraine.
"What's the point of delivering planes here? So that they stand here in the crosshairs of the enemy? We need to wait until everything is 100 percent ready: both infrastructure and pilots, who are currently undergoing training with instructors, as well as the engineering and aviation personnel," emphasized the spokesperson for the Air Forces.
He specified that engineers would not only prepare the aircraft but also handle the armament.
"We acquire an aircraft to use it in combat, not for it to stand still. Therefore, aviation weaponry requires certain knowledge to configure and deploy strikes with it," Ihnat added.
Background
Earlier, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, in a conversation with Zelenskyy, announced plans for transferring the first F-16s to Ukraine.
Later, the Institute for the Study of War wrote about the possibility of Ukraine receiving the aircraft by the end of 2023, allegedly indicated in an Estonian strategic document.
Also according to Ihnat, the F-16s Ukraine is going to receive will need to undergo modernization.
