Ukraine sends pilots for training in the UK and Sweden

The Ukrainian pilots of the classes of 2023 and 2016 flew to the UK and Sweden.

Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, reported this on Friday during his appearance on a telethon.

In these countries, Ukrainian young and experienced pilots will master modern combat aircraft.

“I have decided that the pilots of the class of 2023 will go to the UK for training. As for Sweden, young pilots of the class of 2016, who already have sufficient combat experience, went there,” Oleshchuk shared.

He noted that the training system in these countries is quite flexible. Instructors are approaching each Ukrainian pilot individually.

The skills and capabilities of each pilot are first tested separately.

“Before the training, the US instructors tested my two pilots. If you consider the total training they are doing, the total training is 32 months. In the case of our two pilots, it was decided that they would be able to fly the F-16 in four months,” the Lieutenant General added.

On Saturday, August 19, the Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov, announced that Ukrainian pilots and personnel of the Air Force started their training to operate F-16 multirole fighter jets.

The Netherlands and Denmark fund the training program. The training plan also includes learning English. It is not yet known how long the training will last.

According to Reznikov, the instructors will make decisions on the readiness of Ukrainians when they see the proper level of individual skills and interaction. According to current estimates, such training can take at least six months.

Also, during his visit to Sweden on Saturday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Ukrainian pilots are testing Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft. The President of Ukraine also shared that he had held talks on future steps that would open up the possibility for Ukraine to receive those aircraft.

Paul Johnson, Swedish Defense Minister, mentioned that Ukrainian pilots would also undergo training on simulators. He also said that several experienced Ukrainian pilots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces aircraft had arrived for the testing.