Will the US finally give into Ukraine’s request for the F-16 fighter jet?

The war in Ukraine continues – it’s been 450 days of battle between the forces of Kyiv and Moscow. Amid this, the United States, the European Union and allies have been aiding Ukraine, be it monetarily or through military weaponry.

But Ukraine wants more – it wants US’ F-16 jets and has launched a diplomatic offensive to acquire these dangerous ‘birds’. And it’s most likely that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is going to up the pressure on Joe Biden at the G7 summit being held in Japan’s Hiroshima.

Here’s a detailed look at why Ukraine wants this fighter jet and why the Biden administration has been hesitant to provide them.

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What’s the F-16?

Before we delve into why Ukraine is so keen on this fighter jet, let’s understand more about this plane.

Designed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force, the F-16 is a supersonic fighter jet used by various militaries across the world for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground strikes. It has flown in American conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and on homeland defence missions in US airspace.

The F-16 is built by the American defence contractor Lockheed Martin and is considered as one of the most superior fighters jets in the world. Its key features are a frameless bubble canopy that provides pilots with excellent all-round visibility, an advanced ejection seat which decreases the g-forces felt during ejection, a M61 Vulcan cannon which can spit out 20mm rounds at a rate of over 6,000 per minute, and 11 hardpoints to mount missiles and other equipment.

Moreover, the F-16 is versatile, lightweight and cost-effective — with a price tag of up to $63 million, depending on the model, according to some estimates, as per a New York Times report.

Why Ukraine wants the F-16?

In its arsenal, Ukraine has 132 fighter aircraft, mostly Mig-29s and Su-27s. Compare this to Russia that has 1,391 jets, according to data compiled by the International Institute of Strategic Studies. Even taking into account some Russian aircraft being deployed elsewhere, the numerical disadvantage is significant.

The F-16 has offensive and defensive capabilities, which will bolster Ukraine’s air capabilities. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European leaders at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, this week, “Without modern fighter jets, no air defence system will be perfect.”

Ukraine maintains that while the Mig-29 are fast, they lack the endurance required for long missions, with their range being just over 1,400 km and this is where the F-16s come would be handy.

Additionally, Russia has stepped up its air attacks in recent days. Until Thursday, it had launched nine air attacks in this month alone on the Ukrainian capital.

Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs Dmytro Kuleba wrote in Foreign Policy, “Ukraine requires modern jets to strengthen our air and missile defences, save lives, and protect civilians. Russian missiles and drones strike our peaceful cities at night, killing people — most tragically, children —while they are sleeping. They destroy critical civilian infrastructure and endanger nuclear power plants with flyovers. Ukraine currently intercepts approximately 75 per cent of them using ground-based systems, including those supplied by our partners, and with air-to-air missiles launched from Ukraine’s outdated Soviet-era jets. Unfortunately, approximately 25 per cent still reach their targets. F-16s will operate as one combined system with ground-based air defence, allowing us to shoot down Russian missiles long before they kill someone or destroy another energy facility.”

What’s the hold-up?

The United States had earlier dismissed the possibility of sending the US Air Force’s F-16s, stating that Ukraine wasn’t ready for the fighter jets. It is known that Ukrainian pilots would take at least six months to learn how to fly the plane. Moreover, the jet needs pristine runways for take-off and landing. The F-16 also needs to be inspected and maintained almost daily. Washington is also concerned that Russia’s Vladimir Putin could see this as a further provocation and escalate the violence even further.

Biden in his press conference with Zelenskyy in December, when asked why he and allies weren’t giving Kyiv all the weapons they wanted, he had said: “We are not looking at going to war with Russia. We don’t want to start World War III.”

Pentagon officials have also consistently stated that they do not believe F-16s are what Ukraine needs for this stage of the conflict. “Our focus is on Ukrainian priorities for this fight and aircraft, while on the list, Western, modern aircraft is about eighth on the list,” head of the Pentagon’s International Security Affairs office, Celeste Wallander, said in a House Armed Services hearing last month.

Also read: Poland becomes first NATO nation to give fighter jets to Ukraine: What does this mean for the war?

So, what has changed since then?

Several European countries have had a change of mind and have expressed willingness to supply the fighter jet to Ukraine and even train their pilots.

Earlier this week, Britain and Netherlands said they would create an “international coalition” to procure the US-made F-16s and train Ukrainian pilots and crews. Sunak’s spokesperson said in a statement later, “The prime minister reiterated his belief that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO and the leaders agreed on the importance of allies providing long-term security assistance to Ukraine to guarantee they can deter against future attacks.”

France’s Emmanuel Macron also said there were “no taboos” on Ukrainian pilots being trained in France in a TV interview on Monday – shifting the focus to the US. However, for this the countries need consent from the US. “We have opened the door to training pilots… with several other European countries who are also ready. I think discussions are under way with the Americans,” Macron said in a televised interview with the TF1 broadcaster.

“The training can start from now,” he said, without providing further details.

Buoyed by the support, Zelenskyy will raise the F-16 issue against with Biden at the G-7 meeting in Hiroshima. However, the Ukrainian leader will have to be careful not to embarrass Biden in front of other world dignitaries.

Will the US relent?

It appears there’s been a change of heart in Washington. CNN reports that the Biden administration has signalled to European allies in recent weeks that the US would allow them to export F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

A State Department spokesperson speaking to Politico said, “As Russia’s war against Ukraine has evolved, so too has US military assistance. We will continue to closely consult with Ukraine and work around the clock to continue deliveries in support of Ukraine’s courageous defenders. We will also continue to work with allies and partners to identify and provide Ukraine with additional capabilities.”

With inputs from agencies

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