Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin last month began preparing to change the US position on F-16s for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and train Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter jets. The administration of US President Joe Biden resisted fears that the aircraft could be used to hit targets on the territory of the aggressor country, Russia, as well as the high cost of the F-16 (about $63 million each). However, the Pentagon eventually turned the tide, as happened earlier in the case of the Abrams tanks.
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Austin received unanimous consent from White House national security officials. The New York Times writes about this, citing a spokesman for the US Department of Defense.
Upon returning from a Ramstein meeting on April 21, Austin told senior Biden administration officials that it was time to change the position on pilot exercises and, at the very least, allow other countries to transfer aircraft to Ukraine.
Recall that on the eve of the G7 summit last week, Austin officially recommended to the American leader to allow the allies to teach Ukrainians and transfer their aircraft. Earlier, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said that several countries, including Poland, began to teach Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16.
Source: Racurs
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