The Pentagon announced on Thursday that starting in the month after next, it will start training Ukrainian F-16 pilots in the US so they could deploy the cutting-edge aircraft to engage Russian soldiers.
In order to better combat the Russian invasion, Ukraine has long sought out these cutting-edge fighter jets. Currently, Ukraine is waging a sporadic counteroffensive to retake territory that has been occupied by Russian soldiers.
According to Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, “dozens” of maintenance people and “several” pilots will be involved in the US training.
“These pilots will be conducting English language training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas in September prior to attending F-16 flying training in Arizona” the following month, he said.
The Arizona training will take place at Morris Air National Guard Base, he added.
President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky spoke Thursday and discussed the training program, the White House said.
“President Biden reiterated the US commitment to support Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression for as long as it takes, and to hold Russia accountable for its actions,” a White House statement said.
The US program expands on initiatives recently made public by European partners to educate Ukrainian pilots to operate F-16 aircraft.
The United States informed Denmark and the Netherlands last week that they can send their F-16s to Ukraine once its pilots had received the necessary training.
On Thursday, Norway said that it would also donate F-16s to Ukraine. According to news agency NTB, the transfer would consist of five to ten aircraft.
According to Ryder, depending on the pilots’ existing talents, training typically takes five to eight months.
Given the complexity and specific English needed to fly these aircraft, he added, early language training was essential.
In light of the fact that Denmark and the Netherlands are unable to provide Ukraine with the necessary pilot training, the US is advancing with its own training program, Ryder continued.
“We know that as the Danes and the Dutch prepare to train those pilots, that at a certain point in the future, capacity will be reached,” he said.
