Top US officials acknowledged on Wednesday that the US and its allies are considering providing Ukraine with new fighter jets and training to operate them, which would significantly expand the West’s involvement in the war with Russia.
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U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles C. Brown Jr. said that while he would not speculate on what type of aircraft might be flying, there were discussions about how to strengthen Ukraine’s navy, including the new aircraft. Since the invasion began on February 24, Russia has outflanked Ukraine’s air force, sparingly flying a variety of Cold War-era MiGs and other aircraft.
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Brown said there are several options, including American-made fighters or some made in Europe. Options include Gripen fighter made in sweden Rafale Made in France, and Eurofighter Typhoonwhich was built by a group of companies in many countries.
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Brown said during his speech Aspen Security Forum Colorado. “But I can’t tell you exactly how it will be.”
The discussion marks a departure from the earlier war, when The Biden administration is out Facilitate a deal that would have sent some Polish MiGs to Ukraine in exchange for US-made F-16s. Pentagon officials said in March that such a proposal was unacceptable and raised the possibility that participating in the swap could escalate tensions. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said European allies had a “green light” to send planes to Ukraine, but the US wanted to avoid direct conflict with Russia.
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An opportunity to train Ukrainian pilots to operate new aircraft Already in Congress; The House of Representatives last week voted to appropriate $100 million for the measure as part of the annual defense authorization bill. But so far, Pentagon leaders have refused to support such a plan.
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“No decisions have been made on any of them,” Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a news conference with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday. “But we are looking at a wide range of options to include pilot training.”
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Austin and Milley spoke to reporters after a recent meeting of international military leaders working to bolster Ukraine’s defenses both in the near term and in what many expect to be a long-term confrontation with Russia. Austin indicated that the Biden administration’s priority right now remains the artillery war against Ukrainian forces in the east of the country.
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“Right now, our focus is on helping them succeed in the fight they’re fighting and using the weapons systems they need to succeed in that fight,” he said. “As far as predicting where we will be with pilot training months or years from now, I wouldn’t dare do that.”
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Add any modern combat aircraft to the Ukrainian armyThat would be a huge improvement. Ukrainian officials for months, He was looking for ways to strengthen the country’s air forcewhich flew moderately during the war and had to maneuver around Russian surface-to-air missiles.
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Brown,The discussion is partly about “understanding where Ukraine wants to go and how we meet them wherever they are,” the US Air Force commander said.
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Ross Schultz
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