Ukraine to bring military planes to bargaining table

By David Cronin

Date: 15/04/04

UKRAINE is seeking an agreement under which the EU would be guaranteed the use of its heavy transport aircraft for military operations, European Voice has learned.

The lack of a strategic airlift capacity, allowing the rapid deployment or withdrawal of troops in a crisis zone or the provision of vital services to a beleaguered population, has long been identified as a major hindrance to realizing the Union's military ambitions.

Defence analysts believe the shortfall will eventually be overcome when the Union takes delivery of a fleet of A400M aircraft manufactured by Toulouse-based firm Airbus. However, that is not expected until towards the end of the decade.

In the meantime, Kiev is holding out the possibility that it could sign an accord with the EU, under which its Antonov planes would be available for operations under the Union's command.

Diplomats say that the Ukrainian delegation is due to make such an offer at a ministerial meeting with the EU on 29 April.

Kiev is viewing the offer as part of a bid for closer integration with the EU. Until now, the European Commission has been reluctant to countenance the idea of closer links with Ukraine - by, for example, a formal association agreement - due to the autocratic leadership style of Leonid Kuchma, whose presidency is due to end this Autumn.

The Antonovs were already used by the EU on an ad hoc basis during last year's Operation Artemis in Congo's Ituri region. Jean-Yves Haine, a researcher with the EU's Institute for Security Studies in Paris, argued that the offer is worthy of consideration.

"For any deployable operation outside Europe, the EU will need airlifts," he said. "If an agreement can be made more permanent, that would be better for the EU. One of the problems with the current system is that you have to hire Antonovs on demand. So you don't know if they are available. There have been occasions in the past where the Antonovs were busy dispatching Christmas toys in Ukraine."

The Antonovs were originally designed during the Soviet era and, according to Haine, use "old but solid technology".

They have been used during the 1991 Gulf War, as well as in the ongoing operation in Afghanistan and various peacekeeping activities in Africa.

Ukraine is seeking an agreement whereby the EU would be guaranteed the use of its heavy transport aircraft for military operations.

http://www.eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/index_en.htm http://www.eeas.europa.eu/ukraine/index_en.htm

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