Ukraine requests from Australia over 40 F-18 fighter jets

TheDefensePost reported the information.

"There has been a request for information. Ukraine is looking at fighter jet capabilities, including this one," the ambassador said.

The aircraft in question is stored at the Sydney air base.

Mick Ryan, a strategist and retired Australian major general, said the F-18s could help "level the playing field" as Russia has significantly more air power. Providing these fighter jets, in his opinion, could help prevent attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.

The outlet notes that despite this request, the supply agreement will not take place soon, as it requires diplomatic and logistical cooperation between Canberra, Washington and Kyiv.

For reference. The Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of 71 F-18s was decommissioned between 2019 and 2021 and replaced with the most modern F-35s. Some of the aircraft were sold to Canada, while the 41 in question were purchased by Houston-based RAVN Aerospace. Initial negotiations focused on the transfer of the RAVN-ordered aircraft to Kyiv.

• Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Defense Express, said that the F/A-18 Hornets that Australia has are deck-mounted aircraft that are better than the F-16 in terms of combat effectiveness.