Germany may support “coalition of fighter jets” for Ukraine – German air force chief

Despite the Bundeswehr's lack of F-16 jets, the Federal Republic of Germany has demonstrated its willingness to join the "coalition of jets" to support Ukraine by offering possible alternative military aircraft or providing logistical and training support.

The Inspector of the German Air Force, Ingo Gerhartz, stated this in an interview with Tagesspiegel, the European Pravda reports.

"Countries that don't have the F-16 can provide support on the periphery, for example, with infrastructure or training," said Gerhartz.

The German air force chief mentioned that the munitions of the German Eurofighter could be sent to Ukraine and used on F-16s, adding the decision on Germany's possible participation in the "coalition of fighter jets" and its scope depends on politicians.

"Many countries recently decommissioned their planes and could deliver them to Ukraine promptly," Gerhartz said.

The day before, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany is considering options to support a coalition of countries that plan to train Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 fighter jets. However, according to him, the possible contribution of Berlin may be insignificant.

As Rubryka reported, the US has publicly argued that fighter jets are not a top priority, saying providing planes will quickly exhaust the available funding for assistance to Ukraine instead of more important weapons, such as Abrams tanks and Patriot air defense systems.

The day before, the State Department stated that the United States prioritizes providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and will work to achieve this goal in the coming months.

Last week, Great Britain announced the launch of an international coalition of countries to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighters, including the F-16. The coalition includes Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United States, and Portugal.

The White House also confirmed that the US and its allies will discuss when and how much Ukraine will receive modern fighter jets in the following months.