Pilot training on F-16 jets "will not be as long as Russians hope" – Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson

Photo: RBK - Ukraine

Onischenko Elena

The Air Force confirmed that the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 multi-purpose fighters should begin at the end of August.

Air Force spokesman Colonel Yurii Ihnat announced this at a briefing in the Ukraine-Ukrinform media center.

"We are targeting the end of summer to send pilots to European countries for training. We must understand that it will not be quick but will not be as long as the Russians hope.

I think our pilots will master the F-16 as quickly as (aircraft fighters) mastered the Patriot. The only thing is that the entire composition of the aviation coalition, all the countries that have training bases, simulators, instructors, training bases and planes so that everyone joins in because we need to quickly, we need to get as many people as possible through this training program," noted Yurii Ihnat.

A spokesman for the Air Force recalled that pilots need up to six months to master the control of fighters. But under certain conditions, this term can be shortened to 4 months.

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It should be noted that the issue of providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets was discussed during the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group ( in Ramstein format) in June.

After that, it became known that by July, the partners of Ukraine plan to approve the training program for Ukrainian pilots, engineers, and technicians on F-16 fighter jets; the training will take place in a specially created center in one of the European countries.

Politico says Western F-16 fighter jets may be transferred to Ukraine in early 2024.

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

At the beginning of June, Air Force spokesman Colonel Yuriy Ihnat announced that Kyiv had selected the first groups of Ukrainian pilots for training in Britain.

On July 6, the Supreme Council of National Defense of Romania (CSAT) discussed the project of creating a pilot training center in the country to operate F-16 fighter jets, which NATO members and allied countries can use.

However, as CNN reported, Ukrainian pilots should begin training on the F-16 this month, but the training plan is still not agreed upon.

Head of State Volodymyr Zelensky announced that military training of Ukraine's armed forces on American F-16 fighter jets would begin in August.