Lockheed Martin is ready to produce more F-16s to supply countries that intend to cede their aircraft to the Ukrainian army. Pilot training has already begun in the United States
A new turn in the war in Ukraine. After receiving the promise of receiving German, American and British tanks, Kyiv immediately renewed its request for long-range missiles, as well as combat aircraft to coordinate ground and air attacks.
American industrialists heard the message loud and clear. Lockheed Martin is already proposing to increase production of F-16s to NATO countries that will send fighter jets to Ukraine.
We will increase production of the F-16 in Greenville [en Caroline du Sud] To provide countries that choose to make third-party remittances for assistance [l’Ukraine]announced to financial times Frank St. John, the airline’s Chief Operating Officer.
For now, Washington has not said whether it intends to support this project. In March 2022, days after major Ukrainian air bases were destroyed, the United States officially rejected Ukraine’s requests for the planes.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby revealed that Ukraine had received aircraft without specifying the type and number of aircraft or donor countries. Rumor has it that 70 aircraft (Mig-29s and Su-25s) were provided by Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
“Kyiv has received the Su-25, and I doubt it has already received the Mig-29. But there are many who would be happy to receive them in addition to the F-16,” explains Xavier Tytelman, an aviation expert. Member of the Air and Universe Editorial Board.
F-16 training has begun
Today, the American position seems less stringent. The day after the Rammstein meeting where Ukraine’s allies met on January 20, Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, revealed Location Army notification.
The officer reveals: “Our military pilots went to the United States and funds were allocated for their training. The issue of aviation was never left on the agenda. The type of aircraft that could be provided to us and the conditions for training were determined.”
The topic of the F-16, the most widely used multirole fighter in the world, was openly discussed at Rammstein. The Netherlands announced there that it was ready to supply Kyiv with F-16s.
“The F-16 is the best-selling fighter in the world and despite its age it has great armament potential. There are thousands of them and Lockheed Martin has quantities in stock that can quickly replace those that will be offered in the kyiv,” specifies Xavier Teitelman.
Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra also announced that his government would consider the request with an “open mind”. A positive decision could encourage other European countries and NATO members to follow suit.
In addition to the Netherlands, Lockheed Martin’s European customers abound in Belgium, Denmark, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Romania. They also intend to replace the F-16 with the F-35 which, according to aviation expert Gareth Jennings, could become the aircraft most used by European militaries.
It remains to be seen when the first F-16s could arrive in Ukraine. For Xavier Tytelman, if formations start for several months, they could be delivered in the spring with shipments of the Leopard 2 tanks.
