2023-10-26T14:14:00+03:00 Politics 2024-09-15T04:58:16+03:00

Ukrainian news

Ukrainian pilots begin training on F-16 in USA

Ukrainian pilots begin training on F-16 in USA

In the USA, training of Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 began. This was announced on Monday by the US Air Force, writes Air & Space Forces.

Earlier this week, a "small number" of Ukrainian pilots began training with the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Aviation Unit in "the basics of the F-16," according to a service representative.

"The training program will address the basic knowledge and skills of each pilot and is expected to last several months," a US Air Force representative said.

Pilots are known to be trained at the Morris Air National Guard Base, which is located at Tucson International Airport. It is the only unit of the US Air Force tasked with training foreign pilots in the F-16 as part of its day-to-day mission.

A typical F-16 training course lasts about six months. However, US officials noted that Ukrainian pilots are unlikely to follow the standard pattern, “because the course will be in line with Ukraine's needs to protect its skies from russian aircraft, drones and missiles. European countries are also training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16."

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the first Ukrainian pilots who will arrive for training on F-16 fighter jets can complete the program in three months, but they will perform combat missions later.

According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine needs about 160 fighter jets so that russian dominance in the air is not "absolute".

Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the process of training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets "gathered momentum" - the pilots are studying and undergoing training.

On August 21, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that 70 Ukrainian pilots and technicians are in Denmark, where they are training on F-16 fighters.