Ukraine could deploy F-16 fighter jets into combat as early as this summer, as the war-torn nation continues to work with Western allies to procure planes and train pilots.
The number of aircraft taking off to counter Russian aggression will, however, be far less than anticipated, with some officials estimating that only a fraction of Ukrainian airmen are in the process of being trained to operate them.
According to the New York Times, twelve pilots are expected to be combat-ready by the summer, at which point they will have completed ten months of training in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark.
The latter nation’s defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said the pilots were “progressing well,” noting that their ability to keep up with the rigorous regimen “ultimately will decide the length of the training.”
A training center has been set up in Romania to school NATO pilots, however there has been no confirmation as to when Ukrainians will join them.
In an interview with ABC News in February, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan highlighted the training as a bottleneck in the process.
“There are additional capabilities that the Ukrainians have looked for, F-16 as being one of them,” Sullivan said, noting that the US said last year that it would provide the planes.
“The issue there has been there aren’t very many Ukrainian pilots to be able to pilot those aircraft,” he continued. “It’s not about whether or not F-16 could possibly have been on the battlefield in the spring of last year.”
He reiterated that the US will “continue alongside our allies and partners to try to get Ukraine all of the tools and capabilities that it needs to be able to conduct this fight as rapidly and as efficiently as we possibly can.”
There are not currently any F-16s in Ukraine, and of the numerous countries who have vowed to provide them, only Denmark has confirmed a shipment, with six set to be delivered in the spring. Others, such as the Netherlands, have stated that they want to hold off until they’re sure Ukraine has pilots capable of flying them.
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