Denmark begins training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters

Acting Minister of Defense of Denmark Troels Lund Poulsen announced the start of Ukrainian pilot training on F-16 fighter jets.

AP reports, citing Poulsen, that  Denmark "has taken a step to start training and improving the skills of Ukrainian pilots."

"We will also consider whether we should make a concrete donation to Ukraine of the Danish F-16 fighters and how many there should be," he said.

The minister added that Ukrainian pilots must spend six to eight months of training before the possible donation of Danish F-16 aircraft becomes a reality.

"This does not mean that you cannot make a decision beforehand. But (the F-16 planes) will be in Denmark until 2024," Poulsen said.

Denmark has ordered 27 F-35A fighter jets to replace the more than 40-year-old F-16s, of which Denmark has 30 operational aircraft. The transition to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter will occur from late 2023 to late 2025. Initially, this transition was planned for 2027.

Background

Earlier, the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Great Britain agreed to work on forming an international coalition of fighter jets for Ukraine.

After Britain, France also supported such an initiative. President Emmanuel Macron said this week that pilot training could begin "as soon as now."

On May 19, US President Joe Biden said that his country supports the training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16.

This event marked the beginning of a coalition of fighter jets for Ukraine, the head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak, later said.