The focus of the fighter jet talks: F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets. © Harald Tittel/dpa
The Ukrainian government picked up one rebuff after another from Washington when it asked for fighter jets. For Zelensky, however, there is now a gift at the G7 summit. What exactly is planned?
Hiroshima - And Joe Biden is doing it. After months of hesitation, the US president relented and fulfilled a long-cherished wish for his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky: Biden cleared the way for a delivery of American F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. Just a few weeks after the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian government asked for fighter jets. In response to their constant demands and pleas in the months that followed, only a rigorous "no" came from Washington and from Biden personally. Now comes the U-turn of the US government. The question now arises as to whether this could also change Germany's mind.
What exactly is planned?
The U.S. is supporting the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western-style fighter jets. While the training is ongoing, the U.S. and the coalition of countries participating in the project want to make further decisions: who will actually provide fighter jets in the end, how many and when. A lot is still open. For the time being, the only thing that is clear is that the training of pilots outside Ukraine will take place at locations in Europe, should begin in the coming weeks if possible - and will take months.
Did the United States itself pledge a delivery of F-16s?
No. The U.S. government has explicitly left this open. However, the way is paved for other countries to be able to hand over F-16s from their stocks to Ukraine in the end. Biden has signaled agreement in principle - even if the concrete decisions will only be made in the next step. It is quite conceivable that the USA may not provide any planes itself in the end.
Why did everything depend on the United States?
The F-16s are built by the US company Lockheed Martin. As a result, the US has a key role to play, and not just because of its own large stocks. They must also approve any export of F-16s from the stocks of allies. And because of the sensitive technology of the jets, they themselves have a say in who is trained on them. Without an OK from the United States, the hands of the European partners were tied. The US announcement has one caveat: it is about "fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16."
What does that mean?
Above all, the reference means that Kiev should not get the very latest combat aircraft such as the F-35 for the time being. At the same time, however, it also makes it clear that, in addition to F-16s, other models could also be supplied. For example, the fourth generation of fighter aircraft also includes the Tornadoes and Eurofighter used by Germany, the French Mirage 2000 or other American models such as the F-15 and F/A-18 Hornet.
Which countries have F-16s, and who wants to participate?
In addition to the USA, various other countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Denmark and Greece can be considered as supplier countries for the F-16. They all use the powerful jet to this day. Great Britain and France, which do not have an F-16 in service themselves, also want to participate in pilot training.
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Why does Kiev really want the F-16?
The fact that Ukraine wants F-16s and not other multi-role fighter jets is due to the fact that the US jets are still considered extremely powerful and widely used. More than 2800 units were still in use worldwide. Kiev can therefore hope to get larger quantities and no major problems in the procurement of spare parts.
What do the Ukrainians hope for from the fighter jets?
They believe that F-16s could significantly reduce the number of successful Russian missile and drone strikes. For this purpose, they would be used in conjunction with ground-based anti-aircraft systems. In addition, Ukraine wants Western fighter jets to be used in offensives against the Russian aggressors to support the ground forces. "F-16s will allow us to control our skies, protect our troops, reduce their losses and increase the chances of our pilots surviving air combat," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently wrote in an op-ed for the US magazine Foreign Policy. A delivery of F-16s could also ensure a faster end to the war.
Is Germany part of the fighter jet coalition?
This is not to be assumed. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) described the delivery of Western-style fighter jets weeks ago as not sensible. He also points out that Germany is one of the most important suppliers of weapons to Kyiv. Berlin has forged an alliance to supply German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks and just last week put together another 2.7 billion euro weapons package. Scholz's motto now is: No weapons systems of new quality, but more of the same - especially anti-aircraft systems, tanks, artillery, ammunition. In any case, Germany does not have F-16 to offer. The Bundeswehr flies Eurofighters and Tornadoes. But that doesn't stop London and Paris from getting involved.
Why did the Americans hesitate for so long?
The US was concerned that the Western fighter jets could possibly be used for attacks over Russian territory and thus cause Moscow to escalate the war beyond Ukraine. The Americans also raised an objection to the great effort involved in training the pilots and technicians who have to maintain the jets. Last but not least, the F-16s are very expensive and would limit the financial leeway for other weapon systems. The money factor is not insignificant: The Republicans, with their new power in the US Congress, have already threatened to stop approving Ukraine aid on a very large scale.
Why did Biden relent now?
Europeans have recently been increasingly urging the US to move. Behind closed doors, the Americans never ruled out delivering F-16s in the end, or at least not standing in the way of partners - not necessarily out of conviction, but in case of doubt only to keep the alliance of Ukraine supporters together. That is exactly what has happened. Not for the first time. The United States also agreed to the provision of its own battle tanks to Kyiv, for example, only after much hesitation - in order to give Germany backing for the delivery of its Leopards. The timing is also likely to be related to Zelensky's surprise visit to the G7 summit in Japan. The G7 countries could not send him home empty-handed on the sensational trip.
How do the Americans justify the decision themselves?
Officially, the U.S. government does not want to know anything about a U-turn. Biden's National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, says that before was simply not the right time for F-16. From the outset, the decision to supply weapons to Kyiv was based on the requirements of the war. The U.S. had delivered everything promised. Now it is a matter of looking to the future and seeing what the Ukrainian military needs in the long term to deter and repel Russia. That's where the Jets come in. Dpa