F/A-18 fighters decommissioned by the Royal Air Force may be received by the Armed Forces
Kyiv is negotiating with official Canberra to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with F/A-18 multi-role fighters. These are aircraft that are being decommissioned by the Royal Air Force.
According to the Australian Financial Review, the US authorities have issued a permit for the re-export of fighter jets. The Ukrainian Armed Forces will not have the right to use them in Russian airspace. A total of 46 fighters are in storage. They were replaced by F-35s.
Australian F/A-18s are upgraded to A++. This means that the aircraft are identical to the F/A-18C/D in terms of their technical characteristics. The AN/APG-73 radar allows the F/A-18 to use the entire range of weapons, including AIM-120, Paweway II, AGM-158 JASSM, JDAM-ER, Harpoon, etc.
The F/A-18 was originally designed as a deck-based fighter. Despite this, the Royal Air Force operated them as airfield-based aircraft. The fighters were purchased by Australia in 1985-1988. In this regard, their technical condition needs to be clarified. It is important for Ukraine that the transfer of F/A-18s to the Ukrainian Armed Forces does not pose any threat to Australia’s defense capabilities, as they have already been decommissioned.
