The United States plans to provide spare parts for Ukraine-bound F-16 fighter jets.
The Pentagon reported on this.
The department emphasized that once those F-16s are in the hands of the Ukrainians, however, support will not stop.
There will need to be spare parts to ensure they can be sustained and keep flying. The U.S. is prepared to do that as well, said William A. LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
“Whatever we all deliver to the Ukrainians, provide 90 days of spares, please, please, that’s the rule of thumb — 90 days of spares,” he said.
Without spares, the Pentagon official said the F-16s the Ukrainians fly could be grounded in just a few months, and the United States is not going to let that happen.
“And just because other countries provide their airplanes, we have to make sure if they don’t provide the spares that we find the spares and provide them,” LaPlante said.
The U.S. and its partners, especially though the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, are working together to ensure Ukraine has what it needs and is also able to provide for itself, over the long term.
In October, Ukrainian pilots started practical flight training on F-16s in the United States.
The 162nd Wing trains pilots at Morris Air National Guard Base, located at Tucson International Airport. It is the only U.S. Air Force unit tasked with training foreign pilots on F-16s. European nations are also training Ukrainian pilots on how to operate the F-16s.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State approved the transfer of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by third parties. The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have announced their intention to provide Ukraine with F-16s from their own stockpiles.
The Minister of Defense of Belgium announced the delivery of Belgian F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in 2025.