UK reportedly considers sending aircraft to Ukraine for air patrol

It has been discussed that the UK Royal Air Force fighters could provide air cover for a potential peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine.

Source: meeting at the Permanent Joint Headquarters on Thursday 20 March, as reported by The Telegraph  

Details: The Telegraph reported that during a meeting at the Permanent Joint Headquarters on 20 March, key military planners discussed the possibility of sending British Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine to provide air cover for troops.

A source in the Royal Air Force told the outlet that UK air cover was discussed at the meeting because if the UK military entered Ukraine, "there will be a requirement for top cover".

"We would never send British troops out on the ground without giving them air cover," he said.

The Telegraph reported that the Royal Air Force could provide Typhoon or F-35 fighter jets, as both of these aircraft provide "excellent air-to-air policing".

Details: The Eurofighter Typhoon is a fourth-generation twin-engine multi-role fighter. Later versions of this aircraft are referred to as the 4+ or 4++ generation. Eurofighter GmbH, a consortium of Alenia Aeronautica, EADSМ, and BAE Systems, developed and manufactured the Typhoon.

The discussion comes as French President Emmanuel Macron is exploring alternatives to his plan with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to deploy European troops to Ukraine to protect a future peace deal.

Background:

• The French president is considering a UN-led mission and raised the issue at the European Council summit on 20 March.
• On the same day, Starmer stressed the need to guarantee any potential agreement to end the war in Ukraine, as Russia would otherwise violate it.
• Against this backdrop, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would not have a veto over the potential deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine.

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