The U.S. State Department approved an agreement on May 2 to provide Ukraine with maintenance services for F-16 fighter jets that are already in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to reports, the national authorities informed the U.S. Congress about the sale of military equipment and services worth over $310 million, which includes aircraft support, pilot training, and additional aviation equipment.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“The proposed sale will enhance Ukraine’s capabilities to counter current and future threats by providing effective training for its pilots and increasing its interoperability with the United States,” the State Department stated.
The transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine began back in 2024 as part of assistance from U.S. allies who sanctioned the corresponding transfer. The first deliveries of these aircraft appeared in mid-2024 after two years of pressure on the administration of former President Joe Biden. Following this, Ukraine received its first arms from the U.S., and President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly expressed intentions to acquire new batches of aircraft.
Further Military Cooperation Between the U.S. and Ukraine
According to reports, Zelensky mentioned on X that a meeting is taking place regarding the status and development of Ukrainian military aviation. In his statement, he noted: “All key issues. F-16s that are already in Ukraine. F-16s that we expect soon. And systemic solutions that will help us prepare and employ our military aviation more effectively.”
The weapons and equipment promised to Ukraine earlier during the Biden administration were mostly approved under the PDA program, which allows the U.S. president to quickly authorize the transfer of military supplies to foreign partners. The sale approved in May is a separate agreement for the supply of arms, with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and BAE Systems as the primary contractors, as confirmed in a Pentagon statement.