The Pentagon has announced that the United States will commence training Ukrainian pilots to operate American F-16 fighter jets, starting this October at an Air National Guard base.
This initiative is part of a broader U.S. and European strategy to equip Ukraine with these advanced aircraft for its defense against the invading Russian forces.
This development was revealed as President Joe Biden engaged in a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to mark Ukraine's Independence Day. The dialogue also served as a platform for Biden to reaffirm the United States' support for Ukraine's efforts to repel Russian troops.
During their discussion, the topic of F-16 training was broached, and Biden promised Zelenskyy swift approval for other countries to transfer their F-16s to Ukraine once the training is concluded, as per a White House statement.
Expressing his gratitude, Zelenskyy acknowledged Biden, Congress, and "all Americans" in a post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. He stated, "The U.S. took the lead in rallying global support for Ukraine. This crucial leadership enabled our struggle and bent the arc of history toward good."
However, U.S. military officials have emphasized that it takes years of training to deploy F-16 squadrons effectively, which will limit the immediate impact these aircraft will have on Ukraine's defense.
"This is about the long-term support to Ukraine," Pentagon spokesman, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, told reporters in Washington. "This is not about the counteroffensive that theyre conducting right now."
The training will be held at Morris Air National Guard base in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to this, the pilots will undergo English instruction at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to enhance their language proficiency to the level required to operate the aircraft, Ryder explained.
Ukraine has been advocating for these American fighter jets to bolster its defense against Russian artillery and aviation. Recently, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway declared their intention to provide these aircraft to Ukraine.
Ryder noted that the U.S. decided to join its European allies in the training to prevent delays in bringing Ukrainian pilots up to par.
The U.S. training will accommodate "several" Ukrainian fighter pilots and dozens of maintenance personnel for the jets, Ryder added. He outlined that for experienced pilots, training could last around five months and would cover a range of areas, including formation flying, operating weapons, air combat, and suppressing air defense systems, in addition to ground-based centrifuge training to help pilots withstand the g-forces of an F-16 cockpit.
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