THE Royal Australian Air Force plans to transfer a fleet of Boeing “Classic” Hornets to Ukraine after the military aircraft retired from service almost two years ago.
The F/A-18 fleet retired in 2021 after nearly four decades of military service. The fleet helped the military in numerous assignments including bombing missions in the Middle East against Islamic State.
Texas-based company RAVN Aerospace paid a deposit to purchase 41 of the multi-role fighters currently housed in its military base in New South Wales with plans of selling to Ukraine at a cheaper price.
The sale of the fighter jets however requires approval from the White House, given the fourth-generation fighters have American intellectual property (IP).
The fate of the decommissioned fighter aircraft is still uncertain as high-level international negotiations continue between Australia, Ukraine, and the United States.
Meanwhile, Ukraine formally assured the White House the warplanes would only be used to defend its own territorial airspace and will not be deployed on missions into Russian airspace.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to unveil a new package of military support for Ukraine next month.
