On Friday, May 2, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) released a statement saying that the U.S. State Department had approved the potential sale of training and support services, as well as related equipment, for F-16 multirole fighter jets to the Ukrainian government under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
It is noted that the total amount for which the sale will be approved is $310.5 million. At the same time, the final amount may ultimately be lower, in accordance with the terms and conditions to be defined by the signed agreements. The DSCA statement also mentions that the request for the purchase of equipment and services in support of F-16 aircraft was submitted by the Ukrainian government.
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This includes a range of equipment and services, including aircraft modification and upgrades, personnel training related to operation, spare parts, consumables and ground equipment, classified and unclassified software delivery and support, technical documentation, research; engineering, technical and logistics services.
The list of companies that will be the main contractors includes Valiant Integrated Service, Top Aces Corporation, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Pratt and Whitney, Snap-on, Inc., BAE Systems, AAR Corporation, Comsetra, LLC.
In the context of this announcement, it should be noted that the Foreign Military Sales program is an intergovernmental agreement under which the United States provides weapons to customers. At the same time, the State Department's notification is only a permit for the sale, not an actual contract.
Another question is who should pay for these services. It should be noted that the DSCA provides a clear answer to this question: countries authorized to purchase arms under FMS can do so either at their own expense or with funds provided through U.S.-funded assistance programs. At the same time, it is currently unclear whether Ukraine will cover the cost of this potential agreement itself or if the funding will come from the resources allocated to Ukraine during Joe Biden's presidency.
Although sales under the FMS program are not new for Ukraine, the U.S. Department of State has previously granted such authorizations to Ukraine (during Joe Biden's presidency), including a package of support services and equipment for the F-16, which was approved last December. At the same time, it is important to note that this is the first time that a sale under FMS has been approved for Ukraine during Trump's second term.
The United States has also recently approved a $50 million weapons sale to Ukraine under the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) program. We have described in detail what the sale of arms under the DCS mechanism entails in a separate publication.
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