U.S. Clears $310M Ukraine F-16 Training and Sustainment Deal to Bolster Air Force Capabilities

The U.S. State Department has approved a proposed $310.5 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Ukraine, covering comprehensive training and sustainment services for its F-16 fighter fleet, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) confirmed in a notification to Congress.

The package, requested by the Government of Ukraine, includes aircraft modifications, operational and maintenance training, spare parts, ground handling equipment, technical documentation, and software support. It also covers engineering, logistics, and repair services to be provided by U.S. government personnel and contractors.

Major contractors listed in the agreement are Valiant Integrated Services (Virginia), Top Aces Corporation (Arizona), Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Texas), Pratt and Whitney (Connecticut), Snap-on, Inc. (Wisconsin), BAE Systems, Inc. (Virginia), AAR Corporation (Illinois), and Comsetra, LLC (Oklahoma).

The Congressional notification marks a standard procedural step, allowing lawmakers the chance to review or block the sale before it moves forward.

Ukraine’s F-16 fleet was supplied by U.S. allies under a plan approved by President Joe Biden’s administration, which has pledged over $31 billion in military aid via the Presidential Drawdown Authority.

The U.S. Air Force has now begun sending retired F-16 jets to Ukraine for spare parts. These non-operational airframes, lacking engines and radars, were flown from Tucson, Arizona to Poland’s Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, a key logistics hub. A U.S. Defense Department spokesperson said the parts will help maintain European-donated F-16s in Ukraine’s inventory.

This follows a U.S.-Ukraine agreement on American access to Ukrainian mineral projects and postwar reconstruction investment.

Ukraine’s Air Force uses F-16s for daily air defense and offensive operations, intercepting Russian missiles, drones, and jets with AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles. For ground strikes, they employ JDAM-ER and SDB glide bombs, though operations are limited by Russia’s S-400 air defense range. Pilots also use AGM-88 HARM missiles to target Russian radar systems, and reconnaissance missions with the Terma system identify targets for follow-up attacks.

Ukraine has received 16 F-16s so far, but two have been lost—one in August 2024 and another last month during a combat mission. The pilot of the latter was posthumously named a Hero of Ukraine.

Ukraine expects 85 operational F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. Deliveries have been delayed by spare parts shortages, though more jets are expected this year. Experts say the U.S. could help further by releasing more mothballed F-16s or transferring operational aircraft.