A bipartisan group of senators is demanding more information from the Pentagon about what it would take to send F-16s to Ukraine.
The new push came Tuesday in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from eight senators that received POLITICO, as top administration officials, starting with President Joe Biden, poured cold water on bipartisan calls to send American-made fighter jets into battle.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is "now at a critical juncture," the senators wrote, arguing that the F-16 fighter jets could give Kiev an advantage as Moscow's full-scale invasion enters its second year.
"After speaking with U.S., Ukrainian and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the U.S. should carefully consider providing F-16s to Ukraine," the senators wrote. "This would be a significant capability that could be a game-changer on the battlefield."
The letter was organized by Senator Mark Kelly (R-Ariz.).
The senators asked Austin to provide them by the end of the week with an assessment of a number of factors necessary for the successful transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.
Among their questions, the MPs asked how high Ukrainian officials put the fighter jets when they send requests for weapons, and how the F-16s could be obtained if approved, either newly built or from existing stockpiles. They also asked for the military's assessment of the F-16's impact on the conflict and how quickly Ukrainian pilots could be trained on the aircraft.
The group welcomed news that two Ukrainian pilots had arrived in the U.S. for a fighter skills assessment at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, in Kelly's home state, which it called a "critical step in evaluating" their readiness to fly the F-16.
The letter was also signed by Democrats Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Jackie Rosen of Nevada, as well as Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Ted Budd of North Carolina.
The bipartisan effort to persuade the Biden administration to send F-16s to Ukraine, or to encourage other countries to send them to Ukraine, is bolstered by assessments such as those of General Christopher Cavoli, the top US and NATO commander in Europe. Cavoli told lawmakers behind closed doors at the Munich Security Conference last month that sending advanced weapons, including F-16s and long-range missiles, could help bolster Ukraine's defenses.
But senior civilian officials, including Biden and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, say fighter jets are not an immediate need on the battlefield compared to other assets.
Pentagon policy chief Colin Kahl also defended the administration's position, telling the House Armed Services Committee last month that the most optimistic delivery time for the older F-16s would be about 18 months, while production of the new jets could take three to six years.
"This is a priority for Ukrainians, but it is not one of their top three priorities," Kal testified. "Their top priorities are air defense systems ... the artillery and fire that we talked about, as well as armored vehicles and mechanized systems."
The Senate letter was the result of a bipartisan effort in the House of Representatives, led by Maine Democrat Jared Golden, to persuade Biden to send F-16s or similar aircraft to Kyiv.
