Training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 in the USA and Denmark is almost completed – Air Force
Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, which are being trained in Denmark and the United States, is almost complete. He said this during a briefing on “Countering Enemy Attacks and Protecting Ukrainian Skies” on April 11.
“We are currently training several groups of pilots at different stages of training, including the final ones in Denmark and the United States,” the Air Force spokesman said.
He added that Ukrainian pilots are actively training to perform tasks that they will have to perform at home in the future. Evlash elaborated: “They are practicing strikes against small targets, including chess pieces and cruise missiles.”
However, the spokesperson said that the specific timing of the delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine is discussed exclusively in private. “We don’t talk about deadlines, because strategic uncertainty is our advantage,” he said.
On March 22, it was reported that ten Ukrainian pilots completed a basic flight course in the UK, after which they began a more in-depth study of F-16 controls.
Initially, training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 in the UK began in the summer of 2023.
According to Foreign Policy in February 2024, the first American F-16 fighter jets are expected to arrive in Ukraine around June 2024, and the Ukrainian side expects 12 pilots to be trained on these fighters by the end of the fiscal year in the United States (September).
Details on the readiness of various countries to support Ukraine in training pilots and supplying equipment were also covered. In particular, the Netherlands plans to provide Ukraine with 42 F-16 aircraft, but only after the necessary infrastructure is in place and pilot training is completed.
At the G7 summit, it became known that the United States had confirmed its agreement to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, which added confidence in future deliveries of the fighter jets.
On November 13, 2023, a training center for F-16 pilots was opened in Romania in the city of Fătesti, where Ukrainian military pilots will continue to train.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine could receive the first F-16s in July, but the number of aircraft is limited.
