24 July 2023

Ukrainian Pilots to Begin F-16 Training in August - Defense Minister

The training of Ukrainian pilots who will master the American F-16 fighter jets will kick off in August and take at least six months, said the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov.

That’s according to the minister’s interview with CNN, Ukrinform reports.

Ukraine also needs to create the proper infrastructure for the said warplanes. According to Reznikov’s optimistic forecast, pilots will be able to fly the F-16 as early as next spring.

Reznikov emphasized that, if Ukraine had these fighters now, they would certainly help make more progress in the counteroffensive.

The training, which Reznikov says will apparently take place in Denmark and the Netherlands and possibly the UK or Poland, will also include intensive training for technical staff. The Minister of Defense noted that aircraft maintenance is a "serious task."

He noted that the training may be split between countries, but the final plans are still being finalized.

Reznikov jokingly added that the group of eleven countries that have committed to help Ukraine in training pilots is called "Ocean's 11" after the popular film.

Ukrainian Pilots to Begin F-16 Training in August - Defense Minister

4 hours ago

In this Dec. 2001 file photograph, an F-16 takes off with afterburners glowing loaded with live Sidewinder missiles from the Air National Guard base in South Burlington, Vt. - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.07.2023

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Monday that Ukrainian pilots would begin training on US-made F-16 fighter jets in August.

In an interview with US media, Reznikov said that the training would last at least six months and would likely take place in Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as the United Kingdom or Poland. The minister added that by the spring of 2024, pilots would be able to fly F-16s in the skies above Ukraine.

Reznikov said that the training could be divided between countries, but that the final plans are still being finalized.

Last Friday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots would begin in the coming weeks, adding that the United States was currently working with its European allies to determine the location and dates of the training.

F-16 training marks another step up the escalation ladder of NATO's proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that the delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine would lead to a further escalation of the Ukraine conflict because the jets have a modification that makes them nuclear-capable.

Both Russian and foreign observers have questioned the utility of deploying F-16 fighters to Ukraine, citing the lengthy training time required to create ace pilots, and pointing to Russian air superiority and its vast, dense network of air defenses, which were designed specifically to target large combat aircraft like fighter jets.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots will begin in August. Reznikov, speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN over the weekend, added that the training will take “a minimum of 6 months” and that Ukraine still needs to add some infrastructure for the fighter jets.

July 23, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news - CNN

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Ukrainian pilots' F-16 training to start in August, officials say | Reuters

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Jul 11, 2023 · A coalition of 11 nations will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark, and a training centre will be ...