The Pentagon Press Secretary announced that the USAF will start training Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel on F-16 fighters in the coming months in the USA.
As reported by Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary and US Air Force Brigadier General, the training process is scheduled to begin in October at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson (Arizona) and will be conducted by the 162nd Air National Guard Wing.
In Rayder’s words, the training is “in support of the international effort to develop and strengthen Ukraine’s long-term defenses.”
The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway have already announced their intention to make F-16 fighter jets from their surplus fleets available to Ukraine. Such a commitment was made possible after Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week sent a letter to his European counterparts, assuring them that the Biden administration would approve the transfer of European F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
“The training provided by the United States will complement the F-16 pilot and maintenance training that’s already underway in Europe and further deepens our support of the F-16 training coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands,” Ryder said. “Moving forward we will remain in close consultation with the Danes, the Dutch and other allies to ensure U.S. training complements the broader coalition training efforts.”
How long will it take to train Ukrainian personnel?
Ryder said the entire training process would likely take several months, depending on the competency of the pilots at the start of the course.
“Part of this training will be assessing the individual pilots’ skill level, which will determine help to determine how long that training will last,” he said. “Your basic, new F-16 pilot with not a lot of training on the U.S. side, that training typically lasts about eight months.”
This training includes a series of courses ranging from basic flight instruction to instruction on fighter fundamentals, weapons employment, combat maneuvers and tactical interceptions, among other concepts.
Prior to flight training, the pilots will receive language training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas beginning in September. . The language training will ensure that all pilots have sufficient language skills to be able to fully comprehend the “complexities and specialized English required to fly the aircraft,” Ryder said.
Training for the most experienced Ukrainian pilots could be completed in about five months. In addition, Ryder noted that F-16 fighters require significant logistics and maintenance training for ground support personnel, which ensures that the aircraft remain combat capable.
