First tanks, now fighter jets: Germany is hesitant to deliver heavy war vehicles. But how crucial are the Eurofighters in the Ukraine war?
Kyiv – Ukraine continues to vie for military support from the West. After the sluggish talks on NATO tank deliveries, the Ukrainian military leadership is now increasingly asking for the delivery of Eurofighter fighter jets. "If Britain and Germany were to pool their Eurofighter capabilities, that would be an important step," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told the Funke media group newspapers on Tuesday (30 May).
Ukraine wants to "shake" Russia with fighter jet fleet
With a functioning fighter jet fleet, the airspace over Ukraine could be adequately protected, Reznikov stressed. There is already an international coalition of main battle tanks with the core model of the German Leopard 2 as well as American Abrams and British Challengers. In the same way, a fighter jet coalition could be formed with the core F-16 model as well as Eurofighters and Swedish Gripen jets, the Ukrainian defense minister pleaded.
A German Eurofighter takes off from the Estonian air force base Ämari for a training flight. (Archive photo) © Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
In total, Kyiv needs around 120 fighter jets in the Ukraine war. "Most of them should consist of F-16s," of which there are more than 5,000 machines in the world, Reznikov said. "But Eurofighter and Gripen would also help us." With an air force of this size, it is possible to "shake the certainty of the Russians that they can win this war." First of all, however, Ukraine would welcome it if Germany – like Great Britain – would participate in the training of Ukrainian pilots on Eurofighters, the defense minister added.
U.S. delivers F-16 fighter jets – Is Europe following suit?
The demand for the delivery of Eurofighters is currently still falling on deaf ears. It was only in mid-May that Germany and Great Britain ruled out supplying fighter jets to Ukraine in the foreseeable future. Once again, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was the stubborn opponent of Volodymyr Zelensky's proposals. Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) affirmed that a delivery to Eurofighter was "not suitable to help now" because the training for the use of the fighter jets was too costly to offer short-term support.
The pressure on Europe's willingness to deliver is growing now that the US has now agreed to supply Ukraine with modern F-16 fighter jets. "This will significantly strengthen our army in the sky," Zelensky thanked on Twitter. Experts expect a "noticeable improvement" in the Ukrainian Air Force. However, it is not yet possible to win over the airspace. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Michael Roth (SPD), pleaded last week for a European alliance on the fighter jet issue.
With the F-16, Ukraine will soon have one of the most modern fighter jets in the world at its disposal, which is also superior to the Russian Su-35 fighter jet. Military experts accuse Russia of having an ailing air force, which "looks good" but otherwise has little to offer. According to Defense Minister Reznikov, however, a wide range of fighter jet models is needed to fully take over the airspace.
Eurofighter in Ukraine war: Experts are unsure about fighter jet delivery
It is questionable whether Eurofighters will tip the scales in turning the air battle in the Ukraine war in favor of the defenders. Carlo Masala, a military expert and professor at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, doesn't think much of the term "game-changer". A technology of war alone could not decide the war. "Not a single weapon system is a game-changer. It always depends on how these weapons are used tactically," Masala explained to the Funke media group.
However, an increase in the air force could bring two advantages: On the one hand, fighter jets for Ukraine, of course, prevent Russia from gaining further air superiority. "Secondly, fighter jets bring benefits to the troops operating on the ground," said the military expert from the University of Munich. This could also help with the Ukrainian counteroffensive. "The Ukrainians are preparing the battlefield. They are trying to destroy Russian logistics," Masala said.
However, the Bundeswehr's Eurofighter Typhoon is not suitable for direct support of ground troops on the battlefield. As defense expert Dan Sabbagh writes at The Guardian, Eurofighters are fighter jets designed for air combat. In addition, the fighter jets have been optimized for very high altitudes and speeds in order to increase the range of their missiles. However, because of Russian air defences, fighter jets would often have to fly close to the ground in the Ukraine war, sometimes at altitudes of only 20 metres. It is therefore questionable whether the Eurofighters really represent optimal support for the Ukrainian Air Force. (aa/afp)
