United to win: Ukrainian pilots in Romania training on F-16s loaned by Netherlands

On November 7, the Netherlands sent its first five F-16 fighter jets to Romania to train pilots from Ukraine

The Guardian writes about it.

The Netherlands will deliver between 12 and 18 F-16s for use at the new European F-16 Training Center in Romania, which will soon be opened, the publication said.

"The training center in Romania will initially use the aircraft to improve the skills of hired F-16 instructors. After that, the training of pilots will begin. Flights will be conducted only in NATO airspace," the message reads.

The Netherlands has also pledged to deliver F-16s to Ukraine for combat use, along with Denmark, Norway, and Belgium.

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It should be noted that the USA approved the transfer of F-16 fighters from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine. National Security Adviser to the President of the United States, Jake Sullivan, said that Ukraine would receive the planes after pilot training.

Norway and Belgium have also pledged to supply Ukraine with F-16s, while 11 other countries, including the United States, have said they would help train Ukrainian pilots to fly the planes.

On August 20, an agreement was reached in the Netherlands and Denmark on the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine after the training of Ukrainian pilots.

In particular, Ukraine will receive 42 American F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and 19 aircraft from Denmark. Training of Ukrainian pilots will begin as soon as possible. On September 15, Belgium joined the training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16.

In 2024, the Netherlands plans to transfer the first batch of F-16 fighters to Ukraine.

According to the US Air Force, at the end of October, a "small number" of Ukrainian pilots began training in the 162nd Aviation Unit of the Arizona National Guard in "the basics of the F-16."