Ukraine is looking forward to the day it receives state-of-the-art US-made F-16 fighter jets. IT photo
Ukraine is ready to significantly strengthen its air defense capabilities as pilots training on F-16 fighter jets have the potential to change the game.
The upcoming delivery of state-of-the-art US-made fighter jets is expected to be a significant upgrade for the Ukrainian Air Force, which has largely relied on Soviet-era MiGs and Sukhoi aircraft in the tug-of-war. 23 months long against Russia.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced in a post Tuesday, December 26 on X, formerly Twitter, that the first group of pilots scheduled to fly F-16s to Kiev has completed basic training in the Kingdom UK and transferred to train with similar aircraft in Denmark.
We are very grateful to (the British Ministry of Defense) for providing basic training to Ukraine’s fighter pilots. Ukraine appreciates the help of partners to help Ukraine prepare to operate the F-16,” the post from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said.
The post also quoted Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as saying this development was “a very significant contribution to Ukraine”.
Mr Umerov added that the training “is important to equip Ukrainian pilots with the skills they need in the fight against Russia”.
The British Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Ukrainian pilots had completed Royal Air Force training before arriving in Denmark, noting that “the F-16 will form the core of Ukraine’s future air force.” “.
Newsweek reached out to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and Russia’s Defense Ministry via email for comment on Tuesday but has not received a response.
Ukrainian pilots are learning to fly F-16 aircraft in Denmark and at a specialized training center in Romania. A small number of Ukrainian pilots have also been trained in Arizona.
The prospect of Ukraine owning the F-16 was in doubt until May when President Joe Biden agreed to allow NATO allies to supply the aircraft to Kiev after repeated urgent requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
So far, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have agreed to supply F-16s to Ukraine. The Netherlands is even preparing to send Kiev the first batch of 18 out of 42 aircraft.
Although the exact timeline for the F-16’s arrival in Ukraine is unclear, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte informed President Zelensky in a phone call last week that the first shipment will soon be sent.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that the F-16 would not improve Ukraine’s position in the war, saying at the Eastern Economic Forum in September that the aircraft’s procurement was “only simply prolongs the conflict.”