I was just thinking, “man, Ukraine just doesn’t have enough logistical problems, I hope they get a new aircraft.”
At this point, Sweden’s Grippen would be more useful.
Well, yes and no. M2Ks are already configured to handle NATO munitions out of the box, which is actually a pretty meaningful benefit.
Not to mention: if they’re maintaining and repairing (and in the longer term, disassembling and cannibalizing worn or damaged airframes for parts), I honestly look forward to what the Ukrainian aerospace industry is gonna get up to once the war wraps up. Ukrainians have proven that they’ve got a lot of fascinating and pragmatic ideas in a lot of areas over the course of this war, and it’ll be really interesting to see how that pans out in peacetime under less dire circumstances. It could be game-changing in a lot of ways.