WSJ: US won't send contractors for maintenance of Ukrainian F-16s
Washington has assessed that sending American contractors to Ukraine for F-16 maintenance is too risky, according to a US official speaking to the WSJ. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The US government has decided against a Pentagon-proposed plan to deploy American contractors to Ukraine for the maintenance of Western-supplied military equipment including F-16 fighter jets, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited officials in Washington.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the discussion about sending US civilian contractors to Ukraine has escalated following the arrival of the initial lot of six F-16s in late July. The White House National Security Council reviewed the military's suggestion but concluded that the risks were too great, based on insights shared by officials familiar with the matter.
"The intelligence community raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine,” one of the sources told the outlet.
Although the Biden administration hasn't completely dismissed the idea of sending US contractors to Ukraine, such a move is not expected in the foreseeable future, as per the report.
For the maintenance of the F-16 jets, which are of US design, the administration now looks to its European NATO allies to assume responsibility, the publication added.
The Netherlands, along with Norway, Denmark, and Belgium, committed to providing Ukraine with over 80 F-16s. The Dutch have already said they will finance a private maintenance contract between a civil company and the Ukrainian Air Force.
"We support the Ukrainian government financially to make those contracts with private partners to see if they can hold the aircraft up and running in the future,” stated General Onno Eichelsheim, the Dutch chief of defense, on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal highlighted that Ukraine had faced difficulties in maintaining other US-provided weapons, such as the Abrams M1 tank, requiring the tanks to be sent abroad for repairs. The journal emphasized that an F-16 needs extensive maintenance, necessitating "hours of service for every hour of flight time" and support from a large crew.
Recently, the first F-16 was reportedly lost in Ukraine due to an accident that occurred on Monday, resulting in the death of its pilot. Ukrainian media cited technical difficulties and pilot error as potential causes, although MP Mariana Bezuglaya mentioned the possibility of the jet being hit by "friendly fire" from a US-supplied Patriot air defense system. Conversely, Russian sources claimed the F-16 might have been destroyed by an Iskander missile targeting an airfield in western Ukraine.
In earlier statements, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that utilizing F-16s in the conflict would render them "a legitimate target" for Russian forces, including potential strikes on the planes even if located at airfields within NATO territories.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the discussion about sending US civilian contractors to Ukraine has escalated following the arrival of the initial lot of six F-16s in late July. The White House National Security Council reviewed the military's suggestion but concluded that the risks were too great, based on insights shared by officials familiar with the matter.
"The intelligence community raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine,” one of the sources told the outlet.
Although the Biden administration hasn't completely dismissed the idea of sending US contractors to Ukraine, such a move is not expected in the foreseeable future, as per the report.
For the maintenance of the F-16 jets, which are of US design, the administration now looks to its European NATO allies to assume responsibility, the publication added.
The Netherlands, along with Norway, Denmark, and Belgium, committed to providing Ukraine with over 80 F-16s. The Dutch have already said they will finance a private maintenance contract between a civil company and the Ukrainian Air Force.
"We support the Ukrainian government financially to make those contracts with private partners to see if they can hold the aircraft up and running in the future,” stated General Onno Eichelsheim, the Dutch chief of defense, on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal highlighted that Ukraine had faced difficulties in maintaining other US-provided weapons, such as the Abrams M1 tank, requiring the tanks to be sent abroad for repairs. The journal emphasized that an F-16 needs extensive maintenance, necessitating "hours of service for every hour of flight time" and support from a large crew.
Recently, the first F-16 was reportedly lost in Ukraine due to an accident that occurred on Monday, resulting in the death of its pilot. Ukrainian media cited technical difficulties and pilot error as potential causes, although MP Mariana Bezuglaya mentioned the possibility of the jet being hit by "friendly fire" from a US-supplied Patriot air defense system. Conversely, Russian sources claimed the F-16 might have been destroyed by an Iskander missile targeting an airfield in western Ukraine.
In earlier statements, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that utilizing F-16s in the conflict would render them "a legitimate target" for Russian forces, including potential strikes on the planes even if located at airfields within NATO territories.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
