UK To Explore Transfer of Fighter Jets To Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Zelensky visited London today and took the opportunity to call on the United Kingdom to provide combat aircraft. But what can the UK provide?
President Zelensky addressed the UK’s Houses of Parliament this afternoon and met with senior members of the government and British armed forces to discuss further aid to Ukraine and the expansion of the training currently being provided to Ukrainian personnel in the UK. During his address Zelensky thanked the UK for its support and took the opportunity to urge the UK and its allies to provide Ukraine with suitable fighter aircraft. He also presented the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, with a Ukrainian fighter pilot’s helmet – inscribed with the words, ‘We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it’. Zelensky concluded his speech by joking that “leaving the British parliament two years ago, I thanked you for delicious English tea. And I will be leaving the parliament today thanking all of you in advance for powerful English planes.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now reportedly directed UK defense minister, Ben Wallace, to investigate “what jets we may be able to send (to Ukraine). No decision has been taken on that,” but it was emphasised that “this is a long-term solution, rather than a short-term capability which is what Ukraine needs most now.” A UK government spokesperson told press that “we are hoping to receive the first Ukrainian pilots for training in the spring, obviously we want it to start as soon as possible.”
In a press release ahead of Zelensky’s visit the UK government announced its intention to provide training for both Ukrainian pilots and marines – in addition to the 20,000 Ukrainian Army personnel planned to be trained in 2023 as part of Operation Interflex. While the instruction of Ukrainian aviators is set to begin later this spring the release stated that the training programme for the Ukrainian marines will begin immediately.
It is likely that the pilot training program the UK plans to provide will focus on the necessary foundations of fighter pilot training and perhaps allow later conversion to whatever platform or platforms Ukraine is eventually provided with by the West. This will likely entail training in NATO tactics and procedures and time on advanced flight simulators and perhaps Hawk trainer jets. Former Deputy Commander of Operations at RAF Air Command, Air Marshall Greg Bagwell (Ret.), noted that: “learning to fly an aircraft is a relatively simple transition, learning how to use the systems to maximum effect is the key part and transferable to most modern types.” There has been no mention of training for ground crews or on the potential strain additional pilots might put on the UK’s already stretched pilot training programs.
With Sunak’s directive to investigate what aircraft might be transferred in the future the question is – what could the UK provide? The most obvious answer is the RAF’s Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoons. The Typhoon FGR4 is the RAF’s primary multi-role air defense and ground attack aircraft. The RAF currently has 30 Tranche 1 (T1) Typhoons in inventory, with 20 operational and 10 in storage.
The T1 Typhoons are due to be retired in 2025, however, while the T1 Typhoons don’t share vital interoperability and capabilities with later variants they still have a considerable number of flying hours left in their airframes. BAE Systems had previously been tasked with exploring the potential upgrade of T1 Typhoons which they believe to be technically feasible. Given the only other fighter aircraft operated by the UK is the F-35B, it is highly likely that if any combat aircraft is transferred by the UK it will be Typhoons. While Typhoon would expand the Ukrainian airforce’s capabilities dramatically the extended period needed to train pilots to operate the aircraft effectively means it is unlikely we’ll see the transfer of British Typhoons to Ukraine any time soon.
Header Image: RAF Typhoons, 2004 (Chris Lofting)