The United States has not announced a direct transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, yet it supports the intent of several NATO allies to supply these aircraft. This position was conveyed by Stan Brown, the First Assistant Secretary of State for Military-Political Affairs, and his remarks were cited by Defense News.
Earlier reports in May suggested the Netherlands was weighing the possibility of transferring part of its F-16 fleet to Ukraine and envisaged initiating pilot training promptly.
Brown clarified at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget that such deliveries must follow a holistic approach, including both pilot and maintenance personnel training. U.S. experts note that obtaining a license to train pilots would be among the initial steps before any aircraft handover could occur.
Brown stressed that before a concrete use plan for Ukrainian forces could be drawn up, it was essential to decide how the aircraft would be supplied—whether by a third party or through another mechanism.
The State Department indicated it is processing paperwork for third-party requests to begin pilot training, though Brown did not specify timelines for these steps.
The current situation has prompted a broad overhaul of arms and military equipment export procedures to speed up assistance to Ukraine and streamline processes for allies, as reported by Defense News. A recent State Department document outlines a ten-point plan to streamline the Foreign Military Sales program and improve delivery of military capabilities to U.S. allies.
At Le Bourget, Brown noted that the United States has provided nearly $40 billion in military aid to Ukraine and has utilized almost every mechanism of security cooperation to reach its objectives.
Recent forms of aid include direct transfers from U.S. armed forces, transfers to third parties, direct commercial sales and re-exports, as well as grant aid and licensed direct commercial sales, according to Brown.
He described the scale of assistance as historical and highlighted that interagency approvals, once lengthy, can now be completed within hours.
The state department’s shift also aims to accelerate the transition of NATO members from Soviet-era equipment to Western systems, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
Over the past eighteen months, multiple European nations have shipped obsolete Soviet weapons to Ukraine. Countries such as the Czech Republic, Greece, and Slovenia have sent T-72 tanks, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, and various armored personnel carriers, with NATO members pledging replacements with NATO-compatible designs.
Experts indicate the current objective is to persuade these nations to keep supplying Ukraine with useful equipment while planning to replace Soviet-era gear with Western-made equivalents in the future. Brown underscored that the priority is ensuring these states can transfer Soviet weapons to Ukraine before transitioning to Western designs of similar purpose.
Without air superiority, a Ukrainian counterattack would be highly risky, offering uncertain military-political returns in the present context. A second major maneuver would likely require substantial new air power and different missile, artillery, armor, and engineering assets in large numbers.
If a second counterattack could occur, it might be anticipated in the fall or winter, given that handing over multi-role F-16s to Ukrainian forces would take months. The eventual stockpile of delivered fighters and aviation munitions remains a critical factor, with the current outlook suggesting that the transfer of 24, 48, or 72 F-16s by NATO members would not alone redefine the broader conflict, while a transfer of 150–200 combat aircraft at this stage appears less probable but still consequential to planning.