Canada will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth up to $20 million, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on Jan. 23 during the 18th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
The package will include 10 rigid-hull boats from Zodiac Hurricane Technologies as well as English language training for Ukrainian Air Force personnel learning to operate F-16 fighter jets.
According to the released statement, these boats will assist Ukraine in numerous maritime operations including search and rescue, troop and cargo transport, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Each boat comes with a sophisticated sensor, navigation, and communications system. The donations will include spare parts and training for Ukrainian operators. The trainings are expected to be completed by late spring 2024.
Canada will also provide civilian instructors, planes, and support staff to support the F-16 Training Coalition alongside Denmark, France, and Norway. Language training programs will begin next month.
During the NATO summit in Vilnius in mid-July, Reznikov announced the official formation of the "fighter jet coalition," a group of 11 countries that will assist Kyiv with training its pilots on F-16s and acquiring the aircraft.
The first Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. Greece and the U.S. have also pledged to join the training efforts. So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have promised to provide dozens of their F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force.
Canada has provided over $2.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Some of this support includes Leopard 2 main battle tanks, armored recovery vehicles, combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers, ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more.
Nate Ostiller
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