Australia may send F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine

Australia, the United States and Ukraine are discussing sending 41 Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornets to Kyiv.

That’s according to The Australian Financial Review, Ukrinform reports.

Sources have told the publication that the US, which recently gave permission to other Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including US-made F-16s, is favourably disposed to the idea of sending Ukraine the F/A-18s.

The retired F/A-18s are sitting in a hangar at the Williamtown RAAF base outside Newcastle and unless sent to Ukraine, will either be scrapped or sold to a private sector aviation company, RAVN Aerospace, to train American pilots.  In exchange, Australia is buying 72 F-35 fighter jets from the US.

It is noted that the planes are in good shape and can be operational within four months and used to help repel the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian pilots and ground crew could be quickly brought up to speed to operate the Hornets with Ukrainian language training manuals to be produced.

As reported by Ukrinform, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders earlier agreed to continue working on an official decision to create a coalition of fighter jets at the next Ramstein format meeting, after future consultations with the American side.