Pentagon says Poland’s fighter jet transfer offer not ‘tenable’
The Pentagon on Tuesday evening pushed back against an announcement by Poland proposing a multinational fighter jet swap that could bolster Ukraine’s air force.
Poland’s offer to transfer its MiG-29 to the U.S. military in Germany, so the U.S. could then decide whether to give them to Ukraine, is not ”tenable,” Pentagon Press Secretary said in a Tuesday evening release.
Kirby’s response came hours after the Polish government kicked off a furious scramble Tuesday when it suggested “immediately” sending all of its Fulcrums to Ramstein Air Base. The news came as a surprise to U.S. officials despite negotiations on the issue that have been ongoing for several days.
Earlier in the day, the Pentagon said the vast majority of Ukraine’s airspace is protected by Russian air defenses that would threaten the loaned MiG-29s.
Poland owns nearly 30 combat-ready MiG-29s, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Israel Shows The F-35’s First Aerial Kill
The incident involved an Iranian flying-wing drone carrying small arms to Hamas fighters over a very long distance.
Israel has revealed that its F-35I stealth jets have taken part in their first aerial engagements, shooting down at least two Iranian drones that it says were heading toward Israeli territory last year. This is the first time that F-35s operated by any nation have been confirmed as having destroyed airborne threats and it reflects the rapid pace with which Israel has expanded the use of these sophisticated jets — known locally as ‘Adir’ or ‘mighty one’ — in combat operations. The incident also underscores the continued mismatch between expensive high-end fighters and their missile armament, as well as other air defense systems, and the relatively low-cost but proliferating drone threat, especially in the Middle East.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have also released a video, showing one of the drones being engaged, from the perspective of an F-35I. This is the first time we have seen an F-35 taking part in an aerial engagement of this kind.
Tunisian Air Force to acquire four Grand Caravans for ISR Missions
The deal has been conducted via a US government initiative to equip multiple African nations with a combined 16 Grand Caravan EX aircraft via the Foreign Military Sales process. Past recipients are Cameroon, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda and Uganda.
