Western partners try to agree on details of Ukrainian pilots' F-16 training - Politico

Politico reports this.

Western partners have not even agreed on a plan to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the promised aircraft.

It is noted that Denmark and the Netherlands lead a coalition of 11 countries to support the training, but so far no country has publicly committed aircraft to the program.

One training proposal that has been discussed is sending Ukrainian pilots to the United States to train with the 162nd Air Wing, an Air National Guard unit based in Tucson, Arizona, which already trains foreign partners on the F-16. But this idea was probably not successful.

Another plan involves sending American military pilots to Europe to train Ukrainians somewhere outside the United States. U.S. officials emphasized that no final decisions have been made.

“There’s collaboration ongoing,” one of the officials said. “We are working with our partners and allies to determine the most practical way to implement this plan," one of the officials told Politico.

The Coalition has already taken some steps to start training. Aerospace contractor Draken International has started recruiting retired military pilots to train Ukrainian pilots. Journalists also saw a job posting that was later removed. The training will take place at a facility currently under construction in Romania.

European officials also said that another training center will be set up in Denmark.

On Tuesday, July 25, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said that European partners hope that the training could begin this summer, most likely at a European training facility. At the same time, the UK plans to start basic flight and language training for Ukrainian pilots within a few weeks, she said.

Another training center will also be set up in Denmark, European officials said.

European partners hope training can start this summer, most likely at a location in Europe, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said Tuesday. In the meantime, the U.K. plans to begin basic flying and language training for Ukrainian pilots within a few weeks, she said.

“In terms of any aircraft delivery or any additional timelines, I just don’t have anything for you today,” Singh said.

Despite the announcement, training on the F-16 cannot begin until the U.S. State Department officially approves the transfer of related training materials, such as manuals and flight simulators. This approval, which is required under export restrictions, has not yet occurred.

Realistically, according to U.S. officials, the planes will not arrive until spring.

“We’d probably get some pilots flying, training by the end of the year, but an actual F-16 with Ukrainian colors” is not likely before the spring, said U.S. official.

F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine

On May 21, US President Joe Biden approved the training of Ukrainians on F-16s. Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine would not use these aircraft to strike at Russian territory.

Defense Ministry adviser Yuriy Sak said that Ukraine hopes to receive the first modern American F-16 fighters in the fall of 2023.

On May 25, at a meeting in the Ramstein format, it was announced that the coalition to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces with F-16s would be led by Denmark and the Netherlands and would include four other countries: Norway, Belgium, Portugal, and Poland. 

On June 14, one of the leaders of the "aviation coalition," the Netherlands, announced that training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s would begin in the coming months.

The same day, it was reported that Denmark and the Netherlands plan to start training Ukrainian pilots this summer and will establish a training center in an Eastern European NATO country.

Following the Ramstein meeting, Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov expressed confidence that we would have a "bird coalition." He also assured that the pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force can master the Western F-16 fighters faster than Ukraine's allies expect, and the four-month period looks realistic, while technicians need more time.

On July 6, media reported that Romania would become a base for training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says that the first F-16 fighter jets are likely to fly in Ukraine's skies by the end of March 2024.

On Sunday, July 16, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US would not postpone training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, and Biden allowed European countries to start training.

On July 22, Sullivan also said that Ukrainian pilots would begin training on F-16s in the next few weeks.