Pentagon names "main need of Ukrainians" on battlefield

Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, said that currently Ukraine needs air defence, long-range weapons and armoured vehicles the most, and the F16 "at this stage of the war" will not help the Ukrainians.

Source: Austin during a hearing at the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, quoted by Voice of America

Quote from Austin: "Now the main need of the Ukrainians is air defence. This is a critical need on the battlefield. They also need long-range weapons and armoured vehicles.

And we provide them with a significant package of such opportunities. We also train them and guarantee the provision of the weapons."

"Regarding the F16 fighters, if such a decision is made, it will take approximately 18 months to provide these capabilities. But this will not help the Ukrainians at this stage of the war.

Can Ukrainians get fighter jets in the future? We all believe in it. Potentially, it could be either the F16 or other fourth-generation aircraft.

So we will continue to work with our partners to make sure that Ukraine has exactly what it needs."

Background: US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin believes that Ukraine has a "very good chance" of launching a successful counteroffensive in the spring of 2023 due to the significant depletion of Russian forces, and Western weapons.

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