Kyiv's allies do not have time to prepare the necessary number of Ukrainian pilots to perform tasks on modern Western F-16 fighters.
Points of attention
- The partners will train only 20 Ukrainian pilots by the end of the year, although other countries are already ready to provide more than 60 modern fighters.
- Arguments from Pentagon representatives about the delay in training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 are being criticized in Kyiv.
- Delaying the training of Ukrainian pilots may make it difficult for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to successfully use the new aircraft.
The process of training Ukrainian pilots has been significantly delayed
Oleksandra Ustinova, head of the special parliamentary commission on arms and ammunition in the Ukrainian parliament, told The Times about this.
As the official notes, the de facto delay means that by the end of the year there will be only 20 pilots in Ukraine who have undergone full training for F-16 flights.
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have officially confirmed that they will provide the Armed Forces with more than 60 modern fighters.
According to preliminary data, the first planes will arrive in Ukraine in the summer of 2024.
Ustinova also draws attention to the fact that, as of today, only 8 Ukrainian pilots are being trained in Tucson, Arizona, and another twelve are being trained at an air base in Denmark.
It is also essential to understand that the third training program in Romania has not yet started.
Ukraine cannot come to an agreement with the US regarding pilot training
Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova said that the Ukrainian authorities asked the United States to provide at least ten more places in the educational programs, but Washington did not agree.
The US began to claim that other countries are ahead of Ukrainian pilots in the queue for training places and that he cannot violate his obligations to them.
According to a Pentagon representative, Ukrainian pilots have difficulty understanding the English language and the flight program.
The official emphasized that she considers such statements "ridiculous".
These are not arguments, these are denials, and they continue to invent them again and again, Oleksandra Ustinova claims.
