Ukrainian pilot begins F-16 fighter training in the US/Senior Airman Taylor Crul/US Air Force
2023.10.26 Thu posted at 14:31 JST
(CNN) A small number of Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in the United States this week. This was announced by a US Air Force spokesperson.
The pilots will train with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing, a spokesperson said. The unit specializes in providing F-16 training to overseas partners.
Prior to this flight training, the pilots completed language training at the Department of Defense Language School English Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The United States will also train about 200 Ukrainian personnel to maintain the complex F-16 fighter jet.
In recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urgently requested the provision of F-16s to strengthen the country’s defense against Russian attacks using drones and missiles.
This summer, a Danish-led coalition began training Ukrainian pilots in F-16s. Three countries, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway, have announced that they will provide F-16s to Ukraine after the training is completed.
Because European countries have limited capacity to train F-16 pilots, the United States announced in August that it would train a small number of pilots.
Secretary of State Blinken said the United States would approve the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine through a third party once the training is complete. F-16 fighter jets are American technology, so if any other country wants to send its F-16s to Ukraine, it will need U.S. approval.
Although Mr. Blinken promised swift action in a letter to officials in the Netherlands and Denmark in August, Ukrainian officials are not optimistic that they will receive the F-16s before the end of the year, with most Ukrainian officials not expecting to receive them until next year. ing.
The United States accepted two Ukrainian pilots in May to evaluate their ability to fly advanced fighter jets. Ukraine’s air force is made up of old Soviet-era fighter jets such as MiGs and Sukhois. The performance ratings said both pilots demonstrated “above average” skill in the flight simulator.
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2023-10-26 05:31:00
