US Senators from Both Parties Put Pressure on Pentagon to Send F-16 Jets to Ukraine

A group of senators from both parties pressures the Pentagon chief to provide more information on what is required to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

As Politico reports, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine "is now at a critical juncture," the senators write, arguing that the F-16s could give Kyiv an advantage as Russia's full-scale invasion enters its second year.

"After speaking with U.S., Ukrainian, and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the U.S. needs to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine," the senators wrote.

"This would be a significant capability that could prove to be a game changer on the battlefield," the letter says.

The letter was initiated by Senator Mark Kelly (Arizona).

The senators asked Austin to assess the various factors necessary to successfully supply the F-16 to Ukraine by the end of the week.

Among the questions posed by the lawmakers were how highly Ukrainian officials rate the fighter jets when making arms requests and whether the F-16s, if approved, would come from new production or existing stockpiles. They also asked about the military's assessment of the F-16's impact on the conflict and how quickly Ukrainian pilots could learn to fly the jets.

A group of senators welcomed the announcement that two Ukrainian pilots have travelled to the United States for a combat skills assessment at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Kelly's home state, in what they called a "critical step in gauging" their readiness to fly the F-16.

Democrats Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Ted Budd of North Carolina signed the letter as well.

Bipartisan efforts to persuade the Biden administration to send F-16 jets or encourage other countries to send them to Ukraine have been bolstered by assessments such as that of General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Last month, at the Munich Security Conference, Cavoli told lawmakers in closed session that providing modern weapons, including F-16 fighter jets and longer-range missiles, could help strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities.

However, senior civilian officials, including Biden and Jake Sullivan, the United States National Security Advisor, said fighter jets are less urgent on the battlefield than other capabilities.

Colin Kahl, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, also supported the administration's position, telling the US House Committee on Armed Services last month that the most optimistic delivery date for the old F-16s is about 18 months. At the same time, the production of new aircraft could take three to six years.

"It's a priority for the Ukrainians, but it's not one of their top three priorities," Kahl said. "Their top priorities are air defence systems... the artillery and firepower we discussed, as well as armour and mechanised systems."

The Senate letter follows a bipartisan effort in the House of Representatives, led by Maine Democrat Jared Golden, to persuade Biden to send Kyiv F-16s or similar aircraft.

The United States reiterated that it would not oppose the decision of other states to provide Ukraine with combat aircraft.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has previously stated that Warsaw is ready to transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of an international coalition. He voiced confidence that Ukraine would receive F-16 aircraft in the future.