Dozens of pilots ready to fight on F-16s – Ukraine's Air Force Command spokesperson
Fighter jet F-16
Several dozen pilots are already ready to fight on the F-16.
Yuriy Ihnat, the spokesperson of the Air Force Command of Ukraine, said about this on the air of the national telethon "Edyny Novyny".
"We plan to transfer all pilots (to the F-16 — ed.). We need to train everyone. But the commander of the Air Force has identified pilots who already have a certain level of English and combat experience, and these are young pilots. They are ready to fight even tomorrow. A political decision is needed here so that we start the process of training ground personnel; these are combat management officers and military engineers. Several dozen pilots are already ready to fight," Ihnat said.
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Given the current war on its territory, Ukrainian pilots are well–acquainted with MiG–29 jets, which would serve primarily as an air defense system to intercept Russian aircraft and cruise missiles.
With the fighter jets being of sufficient speed and maneuverability to protect Ukrainian infrastructure and the frontlines, a major issue lies in the deployment of the aircraft; it is unclear whether Ukraine would be able to secure and maintain the aircraft in the long run.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed Ukraine's interest in US-made F-16s, which are currently utilized by several European Union member states.
After weeks of deliberation among Western nations regarding the provision of battle tanks to Ukraine, Zelensky remarked during the presentation of an airforce helmet to the Speaker of the House of the United Kingdom, Lindsay Hoyle, that inscribed upon the helmet was the phrase, "we have freedom, give us wings to protect it."
As Ukraine embarks on its counteroffensive in the spring, it has appealed to its Western allies to provide additional military aid, including tanks and aircraft, in order to ensure effective operations. Ukraine is hopeful that squadrons of combat aircraft can be employed to either support an offensive or repel an attack by Russian forces.
