The spokesman of the Air Force (AF) Command Yurii Ignat informed that Ukraine needs 128 fighter jets to replace the old aircraft fleet. This number is in the vision of the AF.
He told about this on "Radio Svoboda" ["Radio Liberty"].
According to him, if the partners give us 42 fighters, that is about four aviation brigades. The Air Force still talks about the need for more aircraft.
"War can make its adjustments, but more than 100 aircraft are really needed to disperse them to different airfields, to respond to different challenges, and to strike different targets. And on planes, and on the ground, and on the rear of the enemy," added Ignat.
- Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has been calling on its allies to provide Western-type combat aircraft.
- On July 11, at the NATO summit in Vilnius, 11 countries and Ukraine signed a memorandum on the creation of a coalition to train Ukrainian military pilots on F-16 fighters. The coalition was led by Denmark and the Netherlands, and also included Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and Great Britain.
- On August 19, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov informed that Ukrainian pilots have already started training on the F-16 in Great Britain and Sweden. On August 20, during his visit to Denmark, Volodymyr Zelensky visited Ukrainian pilots who are studying at the Fighter Wing Skrydstrup Air Base.
- The US, in turn, has already approved the transfer of American F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine after the completion of Ukrainian pilot training.
- On August 20, Zelensky said that the Netherlands can transfer 42 fighter jets, and Denmark — 19. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed hope that the first group of six F-16s will head to Ukraine closer to the New Year.