US to lead coalition to develop Ukraine’s Air Force - Austin
The United States will lead a coalition of countries in training the Ukrainian Air Force.
This was announced by US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin following the 16th meeting of the Contact Group on Defence of Ukraine (Ramstein format), Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.
"The members of this Contact Group are uniting in what we call 'coalitions of opportunity', and this will make our security assistance more flexible, and some of these coalitions have already been formed. Estonia and Luxembourg will lead a coalition on IT support. Lithuania is leading the way in assisting Ukraine in clearing Russian mines on Ukrainian territory. And I'm proud to announce that the United States will once again step forward to help lead a coalition of countries working with Ukraine to develop its Air Force," Austin said.
In leading the coalition, the United States will coordinate closely with Ukraine and other partners, with a particular focus on developing the capabilities of Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets.
"I am delighted that Denmark and the Netherlands will join us in leading this coalition. I'm also proud to announce that the United States will be joining several more of these coalitions as they form in the coming weeks, including those focused on Ukraine's air defence, armour and artillery," the Pentagon chief said.
