Lockheed prepared with F-16s as Kyiv allies revive debate over fighter jets

Lockheed Martin has mentioned it stands prepared to satisfy demand for its F-16 plane as a few of Ukraine’s closest European allies revive efforts to supply fighter jets to Kyiv.

The US-German determination to ship tanks to Ukraine has reignited discussions, which European defence officers cautioned had been at an early stage.

Frank St. John, chief working officer of Lockheed Martin, the biggest US defence contractor, advised the FT that there was “a number of dialog about third get together switch of F-16s” — whereby international locations would re-export their US jets to Ukraine to defend its airspace. Lockheed will not be straight concerned in talks relating to the potential supply of army plane to Kyiv.

Nevertheless, St. John mentioned the corporate was “going to be ramping manufacturing on F-16s in Greenville [South Carolina] to get to the place the place we can backfill fairly capably any international locations that select to do third get together transfers to assist with the present battle”.

The White Home has rebuffed Ukrainian appeals for contemporary fighter jets such because the F-16 out of worry they may very well be used to strike Russian territory. The US authorities should approve gross sales, or transfers to 3rd international locations, of American-made fighter jets, which implies European international locations would want political assist from the Biden administration. 

“Together with our worldwide allies and companions, we’re in common communication with the Ukrainians on their wants and requests,” a US defence official mentioned. “Right now, we have now nothing to announce relating to F-16s.”

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has dominated out sending jets to Ukraine. “I made clear very early on that we wouldn’t be sending fight plane and I’ll say that once more right here,” he mentioned on Wednesday. Germany doesn’t fly F-16 jets.

EU member states re-exporting F-16s on to Ukraine is one among a sequence of choices, European officers mentioned, declaring that the US-made jets may be despatched by western states to former Warsaw Pact international locations that might then ship their Soviet-designed plane to Kyiv.

At the beginning of the warfare, Warsaw provided to ship its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to the Ukrainian air forces, with one iteration of the proposal involving the US sending F-16s to replenish the Polish air drive. The initiative was deserted in March, after Washington deemed it too escalatory.

Dutch international minister Wopke Hoekstra mentioned final week that the Netherlands would think about any requests to ship F-16s with “an open thoughts” and that there have been “no taboos” on army assist. The Netherlands has round 40 F-16s and is within the technique of phasing them out via the acquisition of extra superior F-35s.

Along with the Netherlands, seven different European Nato international locations fly F-16s, together with Poland, Norway and Romania.

A number of of Lockheed’s weapons programs have been taking part in key roles on the Ukrainian battlefield, together with the together with excessive mobility artillery rocket system (Himars), guided a number of launch rocket system (Gmlrs), Javelin missiles and the extra lately offered Patriot missile defence system, together with its accompanying PAC-3 missiles. The corporate has invested of their manufacturing forward of contracts to replenish stockpiles from the US authorities that it’s assured will come.

Further reporting by James Politi in Washington.