NATO Opts for Ukrainian Planes
The June 12 NATO-Ukraine Committee meeting held as part of the NATO Defense Ministers session in Brussels applauded the efforts by the Ukrainian leadership to implement the 2003 Target Plan as well as Kyiv’s decision to send peacekeepers to Iraq. Great Britain and Poland offered to help Ukraine meet NATO requirements. The NATO Defense Ministers session marked another breakthrough, as twelve NATO member states signed a letter of intent signaling their readiness to use Ukrainian An-124-100 Ruslan military transport planes. This document will be in force until the first supplies of A400M European military transport aircraft begin in 2009. More specifically, as The Day learned from the Antonov Design Bureau, NATO members stated they are ready in principle to lease six Ukrainian Ruslans. Yet, thus far no specific terms of lease have been worked out. The letter of intent has been signed by Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Turkey. The US and Great Britain, which have their own transport aviation, do not participate in the project, nor does Iceland, which does not maintain an army. It is believed that Germany, which has previous experience in leasing Ukrainian military transport aircraft, was the driving force behind the letter of intent. The decision on the possibility of using Ukrainian military transport planes came as part of the discussion of NATO reforms approved during the Prague Summit and designed to enhance the image of the alliance and its preparedness for new challenges such as fighting terrorism, crisis settlement, peacekeeping, and countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction. “This is a new NATO. A NATO transformed in [the] Prague Summit, a NATO able to meet its commitments when times get tough,” NATO Secretary General George Robertson said in his opening statement.
NATO members plan to use Ruslans until 2009 when the first supplies of A400M European transport planes of the Airbus concern are due to begin. Simultaneously, they have an option to use the C-17 Globemaster planes of America’s Boeing Co., which competed with Ruslans in the tender. German Defense Minister Peter Struck said in an interview with the BBC that “priority has been given to the Antonov planes, since they have proved the cheapest solution, all things considered.” As Mr. Struck put it, “the Afghan experience speaks in favor of the Antonov planes.” Incidentally, Spain refused to sign the letter of intent, citing the need to wait for the completion of the investigation into the crash of the Yak-42 of the Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines, which killed 62 Spanish peacekeepers on their way home from Afghanistan. For this very reason Spain insists that a Spanish and not Ukrainian officer be appointed deputy of Brigadier General Andrzej Tyszkiewicz, commander of the international division in the Polish sector. Unless this demand is satisfied, Spain refuses to send its brigade to the Polish sector in Iraq. As The Day learned from its Polish sources, in all probability the Polish commander will have two deputies, a Ukrainian and a Spaniard. Significantly, the Ukrainian contingent is bigger than that of Spain. Director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine Michelle Durres, told The Day in a comment on Spain’s refusal to sign the letter of intent, all NATO members are free to decide as they see fit.
As for Ukraine’s further progress toward NATO, Interfax- Ukraine quotes George Robertson as telling Ukraine’s Defense Minister Volodymyr Shkidchenko, “you can count on our support, since reforms in the defense and security spheres are fundamental for Ukraine’s achieving its strategic goal of Euro- Atlantic integration.” The first step toward integration has been made. Incidentally, Russia has expressed its readiness to sign a similar agreement with NATO on the use of its military transport aviation. Thus far Kyiv has not commented on the possible competition from Russia and its ensuing complications.
COMMENTARY
Michelle DURRES , director, NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine:
“The letter of intent of the twelve NATO member states is the result of the Prague Summit, during which special taskforces were formed to develop a so-called capabilities commitment pact. All NATO member states are looking into how they can improve their capabilities so as to more fully meet such new NATO commitments as fighting terrorism. It is common knowledge that most NATO countries do not have their own military transport aviation. Only the US and Great Britain are self-sufficient in this respect.
“Therefore, the twelve countries agreed that they will sign bilateral contracts with certain companies able to provide military transport aircraft. Ukraine has such potential. Thus, NATO members (and not NATO as an organization) can now sign agreements with Ukrainian companies that can provide military transport aircraft.
“Since Ukraine has such capabilities and is a reliable partner, it is only natural that we will cooperate with Ukraine. Following the ministerial meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Committee it was stated that preparations are underway for the signing of the NATO-Ukraine memorandum on military transport aviation, which signals an even higher level of cooperation. This is extremely good for Ukraine’s image. NATO considers it a story of success.”
