President Zelensky to visit UK today

[alanp]

"the UK announced it will begin training Ukrainian forces to fly Nato-standard fighter jets" - BBC News

So they should pop out of the end of the training system in 5-7 years then...

[colt99]

He’s still asking for Britain to give Ukraine Jets, But what jets? What ground crews, armourers etc?? Our military / country is on its knees ffs . If you read the tabloids.

I think he is very clever in the way he talks, Zelensky is putting it in the mind of all NATO members that they need aircraft.
The UK has probably told him no, but it may make other countries rethink supplying Ukraine.
Just out of interest could a stored Typhoon T.1 be used on the front line?

[theplanespotter]

So far though I see no arguments against the Hawk T.1. This could perform limited offensive (rocket pods) and defensive (missile) capabilities. We have 30+ airworthy ones and we only use them for the red arrows now.

This would send a powerful political message to US to send F-16s too

We don’t need any other nation to sign off the Hawk T.1

……can anyone find a flaw in that argument?

[Alf]

"the UK announced it will begin training Ukrainian forces to fly Nato-standard fighter jets" - BBC News

So they should pop out of the end of the training system in 5-7 years then...

Assume they are existing Ukraine fully trained pilots.. so why 5 years?.. more of a conversion course like an OCU than full blown from zero training.

[Blackcat1]

The worlds b******d. It's been a long day I'm off for a brandy

[NorvilleRogers]

"the UK announced it will begin training Ukrainian forces to fly Nato-standard fighter jets" - BBC News

So they should pop out of the end of the training system in 5-7 years then...

Assume they are existing Ukraine fully trained pilots.. so why 5 years?.. more of a conversion course like an OCU than full blown from zero training.

The PM has just said on BBC we are re training Ukraine pilots to fly NATO standard aircraft, so as Alf has said its a conversion.

[Blackcat1]

Anymore info on what types they're being trained on? Any T1s up today?

[Surfrdan]

I'm not sure Hawk T1 fits with the "Nato-standard fighter jets" brief.

Whats the situation with Tranche 1 Typhoons? Could the Ukraniam pilots coujld skip UKMFTS and go straight to OCU? I imagine there are examples of pilots entering into Typhoon OCU without the T2 UKMFTS background? Or do they all fo back to Valley to learn that standardised instrumentation etc?

[Blackcat1]

I was attempting be funny, a bit like our pm . The Brandy's kicking in

Are there enough serviceable Typhoons to go around?

[Surfrdan]

I was attempting be funny, a bit like our pm . The Brandy's kicking in

Are there enough serviceable Typhoons to go around?

I was more responding to:

So far though I see no arguments against the Hawk T.1.

But the point still stands

[Malcolm]

So far though I see no arguments against the Hawk T.1. This could perform limited offensive (rocket pods) and defensive (missile) capabilities. We have 30+ airworthy ones and we only use them for the red arrows now.

This would send a powerful political message to US to send F-16s too

We don’t need any other nation to sign off the Hawk T.1

……can anyone find a flaw in that argument?

Hawk T1 has no radar, no radar warning receiver, no defensive aids, and very limited point defense capability using Sidewinder - and even that requires good ground based command and control to detect threats and direct the Hawks. Trying to use it to attack hostile ground targets using rocket pods would be suicide. Every man and his dog in hostile territory has a man-pad. I don't see how it would be any improvement on L39's which presumably the Ukranians already know how to fly and fight.

Typhoon is a non starter - It caused no end of aggro getting approval to sell them to Saudi. Anything less than F-16, F-18 or Mirage 2000 is worthless in this situation, and even converting current pilots to these types will take many months.

[Blackcat1]

Give them some Harriers ! Oh that's right doh

Although that would take a lot of training!

[Alf]

I was attempting be funny, a bit like our pm . The Brandy's kicking in

Are there enough serviceable Typhoons to go around?

Across UK/Germany/Italy/Spain maybe.. we are doing the training not necessarily providing all the jets (if we do at all).

[Blackcat1]

Old BJ features is in the news again just now putting pressure on Sunak to send Typhoons to Ukraine!

[Pat Murphy]

Maybe we should let them have some of those Hangar Queens at Marham? Looking at the movements page, we seem to have a lot more aircraft gathering dust in a shelter than flying!! Biden says no to F16's but really, it looks like the only type with enough "Spare" airframes parked in the desert....
Escalation? It's something we all have to be concerned about. Putin winning would be more concerning

[Blackcat1]

Making the UK a bigger target is also a concern right?

[captain scarlet]

Old BJ features is in the news again just now putting pressure on Sunak to send Typhoons to Ukraine!

Maybe he can pay for them seeing as he's coining it in since leaving office . . .

[Blackcat1]

Old BJ features is in the news again just now putting pressure on Sunak to send Typhoons to Ukraine!

Maybe he can pay for them seeing as he's coining it in since leaving office . . .

My thoughts exactly! He should keep his big nose out of it

[captain scarlet]

Old BJ features is in the news again just now putting pressure on Sunak to send Typhoons to Ukraine!

Maybe he can pay for them seeing as he's coining it in since leaving office . . .

My thoughts exactly! He should keep his big nose out of it

I still can't believe the RAF took him up in a typhoon! I wonder who paid for that????

[Malcolm]

Making the UK a bigger target is also a concern right?

No. There is no concept of bigger/smaller target. Putin knows that an attack on the UK (or any other NATO country) automatically brings the whole of NATO into the war on (basically) Ukraines side.