Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesman Yuriy Ignat said on Tuesday that consultations are under way with partners to rearm the country's military aviation, calling the F-16 fighter "the most likely candidate" to replenish the fleet, which is lacking about 200 aircraft
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2023) Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesman Yuriy Ignat said on Tuesday that consultations are under way with partners to rearm the country's military aviation, calling the F-16 fighter "the most likely candidate" to replenish the fleet, which is lacking about 200 aircraft.
While a group of US military officials have reportedly been quietly lobbying to get F-16 multirole fighter jets delivered to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Washington would not send F-16s to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Paris would consider sending more weapons, including warplanes, if Ukraine lodged a formal request.
"At the moment, the most likely candidate to replace the old Soviet aircraft is the F-16, because there are certain objective reasons for this. And it is not an individual decision, there are ongoing consultations with partners," Ignat said, as quoted by the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper.
According to the spokesman, at the initial stage of rearmament Ukraine needs to prepare flight personnel, aviation engineers and airfield infrastructure.
"Then (there will be) the formation of aviation brigades: up to five, each of which can include up to three squadrons," Ignat added.
A squadron normally ranges from 12 to 24 aircraft. Thus, the country needs about 200 new aircraft to "fully rearm and replace old Soviet equipment," according to the spokesman.
Ignat also noted that the Ukrainian air force currently has 11 brigades: one training, three transport, one attack, one bomber and five fighter brigades. The Ukrainian air force's newest aircraft, Russian-made Su-27s, were supplied back in 1991.
Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there in late February 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
In April 2022, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.
