The Ukrainian Air Force may soon be flying Dassault Mirage, JAS 39 Gripen, and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, according to Ukraine’s top defense official.

A few weeks after the delivery of the first batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to Ukraine, Kyiv is in advanced discussions with its international partners for the transfer of additional types of fighter jets to effectively combat Russia’s aggression.

More Fighter Jets for Ukraine

In June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country would provide Ukraine with Dassault Mirage fighter jets.

More recently, the Swedish military stated that it is creating the conditions for the future transfer of JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine. Although Stockholm hasn’t made the decision yet, it is establishing the logistics necessary behind such a move.

And now, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov indicated that a transfer of the Eurofighter Typhoon is also on the table.

“Now we have from partners that they give a commitment for the F-16, a commitment for the Mirage, commitments or consultations for the Gripen, consultations for the Eurofighter. That is, this is a very good list of platforms,” Umerov said.

“And we discuss when they will start. Soon we will have the results that we will announce. Hopefully, we’ll let you know later,” Umerov added.

Several countries have already committed to transferring dozens of American-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

“That’s why we explain to our partners how many brigades or wings we need. In this regard, we also explain to them and justify which platforms we need. In this context, we worked last year to focus on pilot training, on getting platforms, on building all the necessary infrastructure,” the Ukrainian minister of defense added.  

Lots of Fighters, New Challenges for Ukraine 

Of course, adding a new type of combat aircraft isn’t a simple thing. There is a lot behind the decision to transfer additional types of fighter jets to Ukraine. Kyiv’s international partners first need to be sure that the Ukrainian Air Force has the capability and capacity to incorporate the new aircraft and employ them to their maximum effectiveness. Anything less than that could backfire and hurt Ukraine operationally and psychologically.

Adding a new type of fighter jet requires extensive training for both pilots and maintainers. The Ukrainian Air Force is struggling with that because it is used to fly Soviet- and Russian-made aircraft. Its pilots and support staff don’t have the requisite English technical language skills and are struggling to qualify for Western-made aircraft like the F-16. Very likely, the Ukrainian Air Force would face similar challenges with the Dassault Mirage, JAS 39 Gripen, and Eurofighter Typhoon.

Moreover, the Ukrainian Air Force needs to incorporate types of aircraft gradually so that its pilots can learn how to fly them operationally. Otherwise, Kyiv risks losing precious aircraft and good pilots to simple mistakes. Kyiv has already lost an F-16 fighter jet and its experienced pilot in action. And it can’t afford to do that on a large scale.

Kyiv has fought dearly to ensure that its pilots receive combat aircraft from the West. And they should receive them. The transfer should be made in a way that helps the Ukrainian Air Force and does not limit its operational potential.  

About the Author: 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

Image Credit: Creative Commons/Shutterstock.