Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) fighter pilots are getting closer and closer to the F-16. Airmen began training to fly the American fighter plane last week at a US Air Force (USAF) base.
The Ukrainian pilots' training began after they completed an English language course in Texas. Without giving many details, the USAF said that a “small group” of Ukrainian pilots began activities at Morris Air Force Base, Arizona. The base is home to the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard, a unit responsible for training F-16 pilots from around the world.
Responding to the portal Air Force Times, Air Force spokeswoman Rose Riley said that “The training curriculum will be aligned with each pilot’s fundamental knowledge and skills and is expected to last several months.”
While some pilots are already in the US training on the F-16, those who remained in the country use the DCS commercial simulator to familiarize yourself with the fighter, which is expected to arrive in Ukraine from 2024.
In addition to pilots, the USAF is also expected to provide training to around 200 technicians and mechanics, who are expected to maintain Kiev's future F-16s. The Netherlands and Denmark will also train pilots from Ukraine. The two countries will also donate their jets. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reinforced the US willingness to transfer the fighters, saying the planes will be sent to Ukraine when the pilots complete training.
Due to the context of the war against Russia, Ukrainian fighter pilots will undergo faster training. While a normal course takes between six and a half months, training for Ukrainians may only last 120 days.
Read more: Seven interesting facts about the F-16, Ukraine's future new fighter
“For Ukraine, it will be tailored to exactly what they need to do, which is multi-functional, both air-to-air and air-to-ground”, said Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, director of the Air National Guard. “We will train them to perform the full cross-functional spectrum of what we can expect in their conflict theory.”
For the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, the F-16s will be a good addition to the UAF, which operates old MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, although some are modernized. On the other hand, Kendall said in May that fighter jets are not “a dramatic game changer […] for its full military capabilities.”
