Western leaders discuss giving Ukraine F-18 jets along with F-16s

Western leaders are discussing the possibility of handing over "dozens" of F-18 fighter jets alongside the F-16 jets, which several Western countries have already agreed to supply.

Source: Politico

Details: Politico reported that the Ukrainian delegation brought up the question of whether it could obtain F-18 jets during closed-door sessions at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last week.

Politico’s Morning Defense said "dozens of old but serviceable F-18s will likely be available for export by the end of the decade, as Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Finland transition to the F-35," though their conditions "vary widely".

While it might take a long time for the plan to be implemented, "whispers of weapons have had a habit of turning into deliveries during this war," Politico noted.

For reference: The F/A-18 is an American deck-mounted fighter-bomber developed in the 1970s. Today it is the US Navy’s main combat aircraft. It is also in service with a number of countries in Europe and Asia. A number of sources refer to the aircraft as the F-18, but this designation was abolished in 1982 and is no longer official.

Background: On 6 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that several countries from the so-called "fighter jet coalition" have given Ukraine specific proposals concerning the provision of F-16 jets.

The fighter jet coalition currently includes eight European countries: the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal and France.

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