Training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16s will start in August

A coalition of 11 countries will start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in August.

Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, noted that the Ukrainian Air Force is ready to master them as soon as possible.

Eleven partner states of Ukraine signed a memorandum defining the exercises conditions. However, it is not yet confirmed when the fighter jets will arrive in Ukraine.

The Danish Ministry of Defense reported that Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Great Britain have agreed to start training Ukrainians.

F-16 fighter jets will be moved to a training center in Romania for the training of Ukrainians.

Ukrainian pilots, technicians, and support staff will take part in the training program.

It is also possible to include other types of fighter jets in the program.

NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands are leading the international coalition’s efforts to train pilots and support personnel, maintain aircraft, and supply F-16s to Ukraine.

The coalition is ready to consider other ways of providing Ukraine with fully functional F-16 fighter jets capabilities.

“F-16 will protect the sky of Ukraine and the eastern flank of NATO. The Ukrainian Air Force is ready to master them as soon as possible,” Reznikov added.

The Supreme Council of National Defense of Romania had recently approved the possibility of training Ukrainians on fighter jets in their country. The center will be created jointly with other allies and the aircraft development company Lockheed Martin.