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| The US Plans to Send 3 Types of Fighter Jets to Ukraine |
Washington - The United States is the largest supplier of logistical aid and weapons to Ukraine. As a form of "concern", the White House is committed to helping Ukraine confront Russia. Among the weapons that were sent during the war, the Javelin reportedly managed to destroy several Russian T tanks.
Defense ministers from NATO countries have also met to discuss arms shipments to Ukraine on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. The meeting was held to discuss sending more weapons to Ukraine.
In the midst of the conversation, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the allies would continue to deliver heavy weapons and long-range systems to Ukraine. Ukraine itself has received an enormous amount of weapons and military equipment since the start of the war, Al Jazeera reported.
One of the reasons why it was so difficult for Ukraine to win was that they had only 200,000 active military personnel. Therefore, sophisticated and lethal weapons are a must for Kyiv.
Zelensky has received a number of weapons, including artillery from Estonia and Norway. Washington also promised 155 mm M114 long-range artillery. Then there are anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, such as the MANPAD, NLAW, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Stinger missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, MILAN anti-tank missiles and Cheetah anti-aircraft missiles.
Britain has also supplied armored vehicles there, such as the Mastiff which can carry a crew of two plus eight soldiers. Australia has also promised an M113 armored personnel carrier and a Bushmaster protected mobility vehicle that can carry 10 personnel. The Czech Republic and Poland are also the two countries that supply Ukraine with the largest T-72 tanks.
As a reminder, one of the systems that has really helped Ukraine against Russia is the Bayraktar TB2 attack drone from Turkey. This unmanned system caught the attention of the world, where it managed to destroy the notoriously powerful Russian artillery and armored vehicles. For aerial heavy weapons assistance, the US and the Czech Republic have sent Ukrainian Mi-24 attack helicopters.
And finally, "hand" weapons, a number of countries sent automatic rifles, machine guns, assault rifles, snipers, submachine guns, pistols, and ammunition to Ukraine. Last June, Britain announced that it would supply Ukraine with the M270 multi-launch rocket system, which can strike targets up to 80 km (50 miles) away.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, “As Russia's tactics change, so does our support for Ukraine. Systems like the M270 are very capable of protecting their Ukrainian counterparts from Russian long-range artillery attacks," he said.
Three Fighter Jets for Ukraine
Once again, since the war began, Ukraine has received a lot of weapons from various countries. Quoted from the Washington Post, the United States Air Force Chief of Staff said it would supply fighter jets there. "Though it's uncertain what kind will be sent," said General Brown. He stressed that he would provide non-Russian fighter jets, such as from the US and Europe. Such fighter jets include the Swedish-made JAS-39 "Gripen", the French-made Dassault "Rafale" and the Eurofighter "Typhoon".
But interestingly, at the same time, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said, "It is possible that the US will hand over the A-10 "Thunderbolt II" attack jet to the Ukrainian army." As always, it is very difficult for Ukraine to beat Russia in airspace. Although these two countries operate fighter jets of blood, Sukhoi and MiG.
But either way, Russian fighter jets are newer and more modern with equipment far above those of Ukraine. There is the Su-35 which already relies on a passive phased array air fire control radar and the advanced R-77 medium-range air-to-air missile. The missile supports the hit-and-forget concept, in which Russian pilots can carry out attacks much more efficiently.
While Ukraine has nothing to deal with it all. The delivery of Western-made fighter jets would certainly be a great opportunity for Ukraine to turn the tide of the war.
One of the reasons why the West has not yet supplied these platforms there, is because of fears it will trigger a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
If that happened, both sides' nuclear stockpile could be used up. Then, if the US does send A-10 attack jets to Ukraine, then another fighter will need to be sent.
Quoted from Defense View, the A-10 itself is not a "weapon" used to attack aerial objects. This attack jet is purely ground attack, so the A-10 is in dire need of absolute air superiority during its flight missions.
Therefore, the European side also needs to send its fighter jets to overcome this problem. Given the war is now reaching a new chapter, where long range artillery attack systems are used. With the A-10, Ukraine can level Russian artillery for sure.