The American newspaper "The Washington Post" published the material Karoun Demirjian, Dan Lamothe "US, allies weigh providing Ukraine fighter jets to counter Russia" ("The US and its allies are considering providing Ukraine with fighter jets to counter Russia"), which states that senior US officials recognized on July 20, 2022 that the United States and its allies are considering providing Ukraine with new fighters and the training of pilots necessary for their operation, which will dramatically expand the participation of the West in the war with Russia.
MiG-21PFM fighter jet, painted in Ukrainian colors, on the monument in honor of the creation of the Ukrainian Air Force at the House of Officers in Vinnytsia, 07/14/2022 (c) Efrem Lukatsky / AP
Chief of Staff (Commander) US Air Force General Charles Brown, said that although he would not speculate on what type of aircraft could be transferred, discussions were continuing on how to strengthen the fleet of the Ukrainian Air Force, including new aircraft. Since the beginning of the invasion on February 24, the Ukrainian Air Force has been inferior to Russia in armament, economically using its assortment of MiGs and other Cold War-era aircraft.
Brown said there are several options, including American-made or European-made fighters. Options include Gripen fighters made in Sweden, Rafale made in France and Eurofighter Typhoon, which is being built by a consortium of companies in several countries.
"It's going to be something non-Russian, I can probably tell you that," Brown said during a speech at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. "But I can't tell you exactly what it will be."
The discussion marks a departure from an earlier period of the war, when the Biden administration ruled out the possibility of facilitating a deal under which part of the Polish MiG-29 fighters would be sent to Ukraine in exchange for [the transfer to Poland] of American-made F-16 aircraft. In March, Pentagon officials said that such a proposal was not "sound" and would increase the likelihood that participating in such an exchange could increase tensions. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that European allies have a "green light" to send planes to Ukraine, but that the United States wants to avoid a direct conflict with Russia.
The prospect of training Ukrainian pilots to fly new combat aircraft has already found a response in Congress - last week the House of Representatives voted to allocate $ 100 million for this enterprise as part of its version of the US defense budget bill for next year. However, so far, Pentagon leaders have refused to approve such a plan.
"No decisions have been made on any of these issues," General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, said at a joint press conference with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on July 20. "But we are considering a wide range of options, including pilot training."
Austin and Millie met with reporters after the latest meeting of international military leaders working to strengthen Ukraine's defense, both in the short term and due to the fact that many predict a long-term confrontation with Russia. Austin pointed out that at the moment the priority of the Biden administration remains the artillery war that Ukrainian troops are waging in the east of the country.
"Right now we are focused on helping them succeed in the battle they are participating in and using the weapons systems they will need to succeed in that battle," he said. - "As for predicting what we will do with the training of pilots in months or years, I will not risk doing this."
The receipt by the armed forces of Ukraine of any modern fighters would mean a large-scale modernization. Ukrainian officials have been looking for months for ways to strengthen their country's air Force, which rarely took to the air during the war and had to resort to various maneuvers to avoid Russian anti-aircraft missiles.
General Brown, as commander of the US Air Force, said that the discussion was partly caused by "a lack of understanding of where Ukraine intends to move and what we can give them where they may end up."
