The United States and NATO failed to give Ukraine Soviet-era MIG-29 fighters to replace combat losses last March, but now discussions are ongoing to provide the embattled country modern fighter aircraft. The Kyiv government hasn’t been shy about asking for up-to-date jets to defeat Russia in the air and would no doubt be delighted to accept F-16s or something comparable. Reports are that the US government is considering presenting Ukraine some operational albeit legacy combat aircraft.
As it stands, Soviet MIG-29 Fulcrum fighters, introduced 44 years ago and now flown expertly by Ukrainian air warriors, are no match for Russians flying fourth-generation aircraft. Think World War I aerial dog fights between young Americans with 10 hours of flying time and the likes of Manfred von Richthofen in his Fokker Triplane credited with 80 kills. The comparison is apt. Ukrainian combat pilots do not lack skill or courage; they are just short on comparable flying war machines. Consequently, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has persistently requested more modern aircraft for his air force.
There may be hope. “The US Air Force is currently in the process of getting rid of 47 F-16C/Ds, a proposal approved by Congress as part of the fiscal 2022 budget. That means excess flyable F-16s would soon be available for Ukraine, in contrast to other options that could take longer,” Breaking Defense reported. In addition, at least 21 A-10 Warthogs, close air support fighters, are scheduled for retirement in the FY2023 budget authorization bill. Critics assert the A-10 is not survivable in Ukraine’s deadly air combat environment. However, with its tank-busting 30mm rotary cannon, heavily armored fuselage and cockpit, and various air-to-ground weapons, the A-10 could be effective in dealing with Russian tanks and armored vehicles. The Warthog was designed specifically to destroy Russian armor moving through the Fulda Gap during the Cold War.
The Challenge of Providing Ukraine Modern Fighter Aircraft
Congress seems to be on board with bolstering Kyiv’s air force. “A bipartisan group of senators this week urged the Pentagon to ‘consider’ deploying war planes to Ukraine as it continues to grapple with Russia’s months-long deadly war,” Fox News explained. On the other side of Capitol Hill, lawmakers approved $100 million to train and certify Ukrainian aircrew and maintenance personnel to fly and maintain US fighters in the House version of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). That might suggest an intention to provide US aircraft to fly and maintain.
(Photo by Harald Tittel/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Hinting at what those fighter platforms might be, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Charles “CQ” Brown explained to an Aspen Security Forum audience in Colorado that since Russia has cut off spare parts to MIGs, Ukraine must look to other combat aircraft. In Defense News, Brown did not specify, but he did allude to “not just US-made fighters such as the F-15 and F-16, but the Eurofighter, Swedish Gripen, and French Rafale could also be options for Ukraine’s air force.” Congressional NDAA language referred to US — not foreign — fighters.
Not everyone is on board. John Kirby, the new National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters that no decision has been made. “It’s not something that would be executed in the near-term,” said Kirby, in contrast to the modestly enthusiastic tone expressed by Brown.
Remember when Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on a Sunday-morning talk show that the transfer of MIG-29s from Poland to Ukraine “had the green light,” only to have the Pentagon nix the deal. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral William Crowe had a saying that fits such indecision: “This appears to be a case of the right hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.”
To be clear, giving Ukraine modern fighter aircraft like the F-15 or F-16 is not as simple as flying the jets to Kyiv filled with some spare parts. Training pilots would take several weeks, if not months, and bringing maintenance personnel up to speed would be equally time-consuming. Putting together logistics sustainment of spare engines, avionics, hydraulic and other fluids, and myriad subassemblies for the jets is not trivial. A conservative estimate would be two to three months to get a complete package together for sending to Ukraine. However, the time involved will not get shorter by pushing the decision into the future.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliation.
