State Department describes mechanism for possible  F-16s supply to Ukraine

He shared the information with Military Times.

According to Brown, although the US has not yet announced the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, it supports the intention of other allies to deliver these aircraft to Kyiv.

But the decision to supply the fighter jets must be preceded by obtaining a license to train pilots. This is one of the first steps, the State Department official emphasized.

Next, it will be necessary to determine how the aircraft will be transferred - by a third party or otherwise. Brown emphasized that the State Department is already working on paperwork for third-party transfer requests from countries such as the Netherlands so that pilot training can begin. At the same time, Brown refused to name a specific timeframe for completing this procedure.

At the same time, he noted that the war in Ukraine has prompted the US to review the processes of selling military equipment abroad to ensure that Ukraine receives the necessary military assistance quickly and efficiently and to optimize sales processes for other US allies.

• On May 21, US President Joe Biden approved Ukrainian training on F-16s. Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine would not use these aircraft to strike at Russian territory.

• Defense Ministry Advisor Yuriy Sak says that Ukraine hopes to receive the first modern American F-16 fighter jets in the fall of 2023.

• On May 25, at a meeting in the Ramstein format, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin announced that the coalition to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces with F-16s would be led by Denmark and the Netherlands and would include 4 other countries: Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Poland. 

• On June 14, the Netherlands announced that training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s would start in the coming months.

• On June 19, the F-16 manufacturer announced its readiness to train Ukrainian pilots.