Restrictions on the ability of allied countries to train pilots on F-16 fighters will negatively affect the Armed Forces of Ukraine's ability to use these military aircraft effectively in the future.
Points of attention
- Restrictions on F-16 pilot training may negatively affect the effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Ukraine needs to train sufficient pilots for a full-fledged F-16 squadron.
- Destroying air defence assets on Russia's territory and obtaining the necessary number of F-16 aircraft is essential for the most effective support of the Armed Forces ground operations.
- F-16 fighter jets can provide Ukraine with a latent advantage at the front and improve the country's defence capabilities.
- Ukraine demands from the US and other countries to strengthen pilot training to use the incoming F-16s effectively.
What will prevent Ukraine from effectively using the F-16
In particular, it was indicated that American, Danish and Romanian training centres could train a limited number of Ukrainian F-16 pilots. The problem was the lack of places for military training in training centres.
As experts explained, a full-fledged squadron of 20 planes needs 40 pilots. However, Ukraine will have several specialists only at the end of 2025. Until then, our army will be unable to use all the fighter jets received as efficiently as possible.
For the most effective support of ground operations, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should destroy a sufficient number of air defense assets on the territory of Russia with the help of long-range missiles, train a sufficient number of F-16 pilots, and also receive a timely supply and a sufficient number of this type of aircraft, the ISW report added.
F-16 fighters for Ukraine
F-16s are fighters that can appear stealthily. According to a military expert, reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine pilot-instructor Roman Svitan, the Russian occupiers will learn about their appearance in the Ukrainian sky only by the missiles that hit them.
Over the past two months, Ukrainian soldiers have so greatly weakened the Russian air defence system, depriving the enemy of the opportunity to spy, that the Ukrainians can already be given F-16s, and they can even use them on the battlefield, said Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military and Legal Studies.
The other day it was reported that Ukrainian officials are demanding from the US and other countries to strengthen the training of pilots for F-16 fighter jets. Kyiv emphasises that the current program does not produce a sufficient number of pilots to fly the fighters that the Armed Forces will soon receive.
