Ukraine could be in line to receive legacy F/A-18 jets from Australia, with approval from the U.S., as talks to provide Kyiv with U.S.-made F-16s rumble on.
The U.S. is "favorably disposed" to sending 41 retired Australian air force F/A-18 Hornets to Ukraine, The Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday.
Australia is upgrading its air force with U.S.-made F-35s, and Washington would need to approve the export of the F/A-18 fighter attack aircraft to Ukraine. These would be variants of the original Hornets, rather than the upgraded Super Hornets, which were developed towards the end of the Cold War.
Ukraine has long called for Western-made fighter jets to bolster its Soviet-era air force. This would be a significant upgrade in capabilities for Kyiv's military. Ukraine has received MiG-29 jets, but these do not furnish Kyiv with a brand-new set of capabilities in the way that Western-made jets would.
However, no country has yet made the leap to pledge the F-16s, although several nations have formed an "international coalition" to provide the jets. The U.S. has indicated it will support the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, but no decision has yet been made to send the aircraft.
Robert Potter, an Australian expert advising Kyiv, told the publication that a deal is yet to be finalized, adding: "There are multiple formal approvals required to conclude a procurement of these planes [F/A-18s], but it is likely an idea whose time has come."
"There are still many hurdles to clear before the F/A-18s can be sent to Ukraine," an official familiar with the talks told the Australian Broadcast Corporation.
Both single-seat and twin-seat models of the F/A-18s are up for consideration, The Australian Financial Review reported on Thursday.
The F-16, which was first delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 1979, is a multi-role fighter aircraft able either to accommodate one pilot or come in a twin-seat model. There are several versions of F-16s, although experts say Ukraine is unlikely to receive the latest versions of the aircraft.
The legacy Hornets first entered active duty in January 1983, according to manufacturers Boeing. The upgraded version, the Super Hornet, made its first flight in November 1995.
"In general terms, both the Legacy Hornet and the F-16 are better aircraft than the MiG-29 and would represent an enhancement for the Ukrainian air force," according to David Jordan. He is co-director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King's College London, U.K. "Both are exceptionally impressive aircraft," he told Newsweek.
In a basic comparison, the F-16 and the F/A-18 "offer similar generational capability," although the details are yet to be revealed. This is according to former British Royal Air Force Senior Commander and Air Marshal Greg Bagwell.
"The key issue would be the weapon types offered as part of any deal," Bagwell told Newsweek.
While the aircraft would be a considerable addition to Ukraine's Air Force, there are questions over how easy the Hornets would be for Ukraine to maintain in the future, Jordan said.
"There is also an argument that, if you can standardise on a single type, this makes life easier," Jordan added. Adding F/A-18s into the mix could complicate the integration of F-16s, Bagwell agreed.
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"Trying to integrate and train on two new types will add some additional challenge in terms of complexity and capacity, which might make the costs outweigh the benefits of extra aircraft, especially as it doesn't really offer any additional capability over the F-16," Bagwell said.
"We want F-16s. It is too difficult to maintain and supply multiple aircraft types," Yuriy Sak, a spokesman for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, told The Times of London. "There are lots of them and they are a fast multi-role fighter that can help with both defending Ukrainian cities and supporting our ground troops."
Experts told the Financial Review that the twin-engine Hornets are better equipped for dealing with the rougher airfields Ukraine is operating from than comparable fourth-generation jets. Experts previously told Newsweek that jets such as the Swedish Gripen are more capable of dealing with rougher surfaces and dispersed airfields than the F-16.
However, the F-16s are widely considered the most appropriate choice of modern aircraft to send to Ukraine. However, they mark a longer-term commitment from Kyiv's Western allies to equip the Ukrainian air force.
The types of Hornets being considered are "no longer manufactured or supported to the same extent as F-16s," Bagwell said. It means they lack a certain "future-proofing" that the F-16s may have.
"F-16s are going to be provided as a part of long-term defense needs for Ukraine," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.
"It'll take some time for those jets to get there," Kirby added. "We're going to start with a training program for Ukrainian pilots, and that hasn't started yet."
The U.S. Defense Department referred Newsweek to the Australian Defense Ministry, which did not respond to a Newsweek comment request.
Update 06/11/23 at 11.40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a response from the U.S. Defense Department.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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