US reportedly approves supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once training is complete

The US has approved sending much sought after F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as pilot training is completed, according to reports.

Ukraine has been pressing for the the US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority.

Washington gave Denmark and the Netherlands official assurances that the United States will expedite approval of transfer requests for F-16s to go to Ukraine when the pilots are trained, a US official told the Reuters news agency.

A coalition of 11 countries was due to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 fighter jets this month in Denmark.

In July, Denmark’s acting Defence Minister Troels Poulsen said Copenhagen hoped to see “results” from the training in early 2024.

Denmark and the Netherlands, both members of Nato, have been leading international efforts to train pilots as well as support staff, maintain aircraft and enable Ukraine to obtain the jets.

The US official said Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent letters to his Danish and Dutch counterparts assuring them that the requests would be approved.

“I am writing to express the United States’ full support for both the transfer of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and for the training of Ukrainian pilots by qualified F-16 instructors,” Blinken said in a letter to the two officials, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

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

He said the approval of the requests would allow Ukraine to take “full advantage of its new capabilities as soon as the first set of pilots complete their training.”

US President Joe Biden endorsed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in May. In addition to training in Denmark, a training center was to be set up in Romania.

US officials have privately said that F-16 jets would have been of little help to Ukraine in its current counteroffensive and will not be a game changer when they eventually arrive given Russian air defense systems and contested skies over Ukraine.

However a former RAF commander told i in May that supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets would “completely change” how Russia fights the war and “scare the s**t” out of Russian pilots.