Pentagon: Ukraine uninterested in A-10 aircraft, requested by Budanov and Syrskyi
Photo: The US says Ukraine is not interested in receiving A-10 attack aircrafts (flickr by Bernie C)
The United States of America does not see Ukraine's interest in acquiring outdated American A-10 Warthogs, says the US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.
The United States has decided to get rid of the outdated A-10s. Military officials believe that such aircraft are too vulnerable to survive in modern conflicts.
In turn, congressmen offered to provide such aircraft to Ukraine to help defend against Russian aggression.
In response to this proposal during hearings in the House Armed Services Committee, Kendall stated that he was unaware of any interest from Ukraine.
"Ukraine hasn't expressed much interest. I think they, rightfully, are concerned about their survivability,” Kendall added.
He noted that any country that receives such aircraft will face a maintenance problem - the A-10 is 45 years old and parts for it are in short supply.
At the same time, Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, disagrees that Ukraine does not need A-10s. In his opinion, the aircraft can be used in conjunction with the F-16.
"This plane was literally designed to destroy Soviet armor and Russian armor. Yes, it's a bit dated, but so are the ATACMS, so are the HIMARS,” Coffey noted.
А-10
The A-10 was put into service in the United States in 1976. Its mission is to provide air support. It is the only aircraft in the US Air Force with this role.
Americans have used the A-10 in a number of wars, including NATO operations in Serbia and Afghanistan.
What Ukraine said about the A-10
Last fall, the then-spokesperson of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, said that Ukraine did not need American A-10 attack aircraft. According to Ihnat, they would simply be destroyed by Russian air defense.
At the same time, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, expressed a different opinion about the A-10s a few months later. He believes that the planes could be an option for Ukraine, as they are reliable equipment that has seen a significant amount of combat.
Earlier this year, the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, also said that A-10s could help Ukraine inflict a military defeat on Russia.
