CNN: US working with Poland to provide Ukraine with fighter jets.

[Tomconroy]

The US is working with Poland on the possibility of Warsaw providing fighter jets to Ukraine along with consulting with other allies, a White House spokesperson confirmed, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushes for eastern European countries to send fighter aircraft into his country.

As part of the conversations with Poland, the US is determining what “capabilities we could provide to backfill Poland if it decided to transfer planes to Ukraine,” said the spokesperson, who would not detail what backfill options are under consideration.

The spokesperson said sending fighter jets into Ukraine is a “sovereign decision for any country to make” and noted there are a host of logistics to work through, including how the aircraft would be transferred from Poland to Ukraine.

Two lawmakers participating in a Zoom call with the Ukrainian President on Saturday said Zelensky indicated Poland had signaled it is prepared to send MiG fighter jets but “they are only waiting for you [the US] to allow it.”

[Gore1FL]

1. That is a win-win-win

Ukraine get's the Migs it needs. The F-16 is an upgrade for Poland. The U.S. has less decommissioned F-16's to deal with.

[ColinC]

2. That last paragraph is concerning

After an official said it is a sovereign decision, it seems Zelensky suggested Poland was holding out because the US needed to allow it. is the US really the only reason Poland wouldn't send the jets??

[Gore1FL]

4. I saw that, but attributed it to bureaucracy more than anything else.

That was my initial reaction without and particular further thought on it.

I am hopeful the U.S. isn't vetoing this.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

5. Working on 3 way deal, US F-16s to backfill Poland if they give Ukraine their old Soviet era MiGs

Ukraine pilots already trained on these, but many logistical concerns too.

[Deminpenn]

6. Poland already has F16s

The problem might be US/DoD authorization of additional FMS sales of F16s to Poland.

Wiki entry of F16 operators: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fighting_Falcon_operators

Entry on Poland

Poland
Polish F-16C

One of the former members of the Warsaw Pact that was looking to replace an aging fleet of Soviet-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (withdrawn in service in 1999 due to their small numbers and uneconomical operation) and the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighters (withdrawn from service in 2003), Poland conducted a competition between the Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2, the JAS 39 Gripen, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 (the last offer was withdrawn), and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Despite a strong challenge by the BAe/SAAB team, Poland purchased 48 F-16C/D-52+ aircraft. The aircraft were delivered from 2006 under the PEACE SKY program, to avoid confusion with the PZL W-3 Sokół (Polish language "Falcon&quot helicopter, these jet fighters were nicknamed the F-16 Jastrząb (Goshawk) in Polish. Now, the F-16, along with 32 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighters and 48 Sukhoi Su-22 ground attack aircraft are the main offensive strike force for Polish Air Force.

There have also been delays in the offset program, the United States has not made all the promised investments in Poland that were part of the deal. Offset deals in 2011 reached $6 billion out of $6.028 billion planned ($9.8 billion at time when offer was chosen), however only one-third of recognised offsets commitment were direct investments in Polish economy.[9][10]

According to a former Polish military defence vice-minister, the offer for JAS 39 Gripen was a better deal.[11] F-16s cost $3.5 billion, compared to 3.2 billion euro for Saab's Gripen, and 3.6 billion euro for Dassault offer,[12] at a time when both currencies had a similar [/div

MiG-29s seem to be the mainstay of the Ukrainian AF. Poland would likely transfer its operational MiG-29s, then backfill with F16s.

[Cha]

3. Here's to it All Working Out..

💙💛

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. NATO countries now have the "green-light" to send fighter jets to Ukraine

Link to tweet