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Ukraine Gets Major $266 Million F-16 Boost From US.

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Ukraine Gets Major $266 Million F-16 Boost From US.

The U.S. has authorized a $266 million military package for Ukraine, aimed at supporting the services and repairs required to maintain the country’s fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

The announcement came on Tuesday from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), a branch of the Defense Department focused on weapons transfers and related support to allied nations.

In its release, the DSCA said the State Department had approved the quarter-billion-dollar support package and Congress had been notified of the proposed sale, which when finalized will comprise “sustainment services and related equipment” for Kyiv’s fighter jets.

These include the Joint Mission Planning System, a software-based tool used by the Defense Department to coordinate missions for military aircraft and other assets, as well as maintenance services, personnel training and spare parts.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the DSCA said.

It added that the sale will “improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust air defense capability” and that the country “will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”

Newsweek has contacted the Department of State outside of regular business hours for further comment on the support package.

As well as facilitating the transfer of the jets to Ukraine from European nations, the U.S. has in the past helped to upgrade Kyiv’s existing fleet.

In late August, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service announced that jets supplied by the Netherlands and Denmark had been fitted with new systems allowing them to conduct “full-spectrum electromagnetic warfare.”

Ukraine announced that it had received its first batch of American-made F-16 fighter jets, originally developed for the U.S. Air Force, in August. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to the U.S., Denmark and the Netherlands for their support but did not specify which country supplied the shipment.

Ukraine’s NATO allies-including Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium-have together promised to send nearly 100 F-16s to Kyiv, according to FlightGlobal, though it is unclear how many have been received or are yet operational.

However, this sum is still insufficient, according to Ukraine. Zelensky told AFP in May that his country would require “120 to 130” F-16s to achieve “parity” with Russia’s forces.

On December 7, Zelensky said his country had received its second shipment of F-16s from Denmark, describing this as “an example of leadership in defending lives that sets Denmark apart.”

“The aircraft from the first batch, provided by the Danish people, are already intercepting Russian missiles, saving our people’s lives and our infrastructure,” Zelensky posted to X. “Now, our air shield has been further strengthened. If all partners were as determined, Russian terror could already have been made impossible.”

(Miami herald)

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