US Rejects Plan to Send Contractors to Maintain F-16s in Ukraine Amid Russian Concerns
Washington is worried that American contractors could be targeted by Russian forces in Ukraine, according to a US official. The Biden administration has turned down a Pentagon proposal to send contractors to maintain Western hardware, including F-16 fighter jets, in Ukraine.
The debate over deploying US civilians to Ukraine to service military equipment provided by foreign allies has intensified since the delivery of the first batch of F-16s in July. The White House National Security Council deemed the plan too risky due to concerns raised by the intelligence community about potential Russian targeting of American contractors.
For now, the US expects its NATO allies in Europe to take responsibility for servicing the F-16s. The Netherlands has already announced funding for a private contract between a civilian maintenance company and the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukraine has faced challenges maintaining US-supplied weapons in the past, such as the Abrams M1 tank.
Russian President Putin previously warned that F-16s could be targeted by Russian forces if used in the conflict. The loss of a Ukrainian F-16 earlier this week has raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of the jets.
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