White House asked to approve Australian F/A-18 Hornets for Ukraine

Kyiv has formally asked the White House to green light the transfer of the RAAF’s fleet of retired F/A-18 Hornets to Ukraine.

A pair of Australian F/A-18A Hornets in the Middle East Region in 2016.

Kyiv has formally asked the White House to green light the transfer of the RAAF’s fleet of retired F/A-18 Hornets to Ukraine under a commercial deal with a US aerospace company that has the rights to buy the aircraft.

If the US approves the deal, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles will be urged to make the sale happen, according to an Australian adviser to the Ukraine government who has been helping to broker the sale.

Australian, American and Ukrainian officials are understood to have had initial discussions on the potential agreement in which Texas company RAVN Aerospace – which has paid a deposit for 41 of the jets – would on-sell its stake to Kyiv.

As the Albanese government works on a fresh support package for Ukraine to be unveiled next month, a senior Defence source warned there remained “many hurdles” to providing Australia’s “Classic Hornets” to Kyiv.

They include a lack of personnel to make the jets airworthy, and insufficient spare parts for the aircraft in Australia.

But Robert Potter, an Australian cybersecurity expert who is advising the Zelensky government, said the US Defence Department had already examined what it would take to get the aircraft flying again.

“The Pentagon engaged Boeing to give a view on whether the planes could be restored. Boeing said all of the planes could be brought to an airworthy condition within six months,” Mr Potter told The Australian.

“These planes would go to the US, where there would be access to American parts.”

He said he understood Kyiv had secured commitments from foreign volunteer pilots who were qualified to fly the aircraft.

The retired F/A-18s are in a hangar at the Williamtown RAAF base outside Newcastle.

If they are not sent to Ukraine they are likely to be scrapped, with RAVN Aerospace understood to be no longer interested in using them for training.

“That’s really the choice here – Ukraine can use them to fight the Russians, or they can be destroyed,” Mr Potter said.

Washington has approved Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets amid an escalation of air attacks on the capital, but the country is yet to source any aircraft.

Ukraine’s efforts to secure Australia’s Hornets are being led by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Technology Mykhailo Federov.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov confirmed after meeting with Mr Marles on the weekend that Australia was preparing to announce a new package of support for Ukraine.

The announcement is likely to coincide with Anthony Albanese’s trip to the NATO Leaders’ Summit in Lithuania in July.

The opposition attacked the delay in unveiling fresh assistance, saying “the timing of announcements of support for a friend in need … should not be beholden to media schedules or ministerial visits”.

In a letter to Mr Marles, the opposition’s foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham and defence spokesman Andrew Hastie said they were concerned Australia was no longer pulling its weight as a key supporter to Ukraine.

They urged “the swift announcement of a new and comprehensive package”, urging “thorough consideration” of Ukraine’s requests for F/A-18 Hornets, Hawkei protected vehicles, M1 Abrams tanks, and de-mining equipment.

The Prime Minister said on the weekend that announcements on further support would be made “when they’re ready to be made”.

The RAAF fleet of 71 F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft, together with spares and support equipment, was progressively withdrawn from service from January 2019 to December 2021.

A Defence spokeswoman said the department retained possession of the aircraft.

“The Australian Government remains committed to delivering on its current contribution to Ukraine,” the spokeswoman said.

“Australia continues to engage with the Government of Ukraine and our allies and partners to ensure meaningful support continues to be provided to Ukraine in its ongoing battle against Russian aggression.”

Australia has committed about $680 million of support to Ukraine, including more than $510 million in military assistance.