(Reuters) – US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, senior US officials said, a significant support as Kiev seeks to bolster its air force against Russia. Russia.
One of the officials said the training on the US-made aircraft would take place in Europe and would take months to complete. US officials have estimated that the fastest time required for training and delivery of the F-16 is 18 months.
“Since the training takes place over the coming months, our coalition of countries participating in this effort will decide when we actually provide aircraft, how much we provide, and who will provide them,” the official said.
Although the official did not say which countries would take part, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK would work with the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark to “provide Ukraine the combat air capability it needs.”
The Danish Ministry of Defense said it was ready to support the training.
The official added that the US hopes to begin the training, which will take place on fourth-generation fighters including the F-16, in the coming weeks.
Ukraine is seeking the jets, built by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), as it continues to make its biggest advance in months against invading Russian forces ahead of a planned counterattack.
Ukraine, which does not possess any Western-designed aircraft, says the F-16s are far more effective than the Soviet-era fighters it still uses. Poland and Slovakia delivered 27 MiG-29s to Ukraine.
Western governments were wary of leaving their countries unprotected by giving away too much equipment. They also avoided sending anything that could strike deep into Russian territory and give Moscow a reason to attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received pledges this week from Britain and the Netherlands to help build an “aircraft alliance”, although the leaders of the two countries refrained from saying they would send planes.
Zelensky on Friday welcomed the news. “This will greatly strengthen our military in the sky. I count on discussing the practical implementation of this decision at the #G7 summit in Hiroshima,” he said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Ramy Ayoub). Editing by Susan Heavy
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