The arduous journey of learning to fly F-16 fighter jets for Ukrainian pilots

The first Ukrainian pilots to undergo F-16 fighter jet training will not be ready to fly until the summer of 2024, the Washington Post reported on August 11, citing Ukrainian government and military officials.

According to the Washington Post, only six pilots, or half of the squadron, will undergo the first round of training. Two more pilots are reserve candidates.

“Although the pilots are fluent in English, officials said they must first take a four-month English course in the UK to learn jet-related terminology,” the US newspaper noted.

As a result, F-16 training is not expected to officially begin until January 2024. A second group of pilots of similar size will begin their next round of training later next year. In addition, another 20 pilots with minimal English skills are expected to be ready to start their language course in the UK this month.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets would begin in August.

Meanwhile, CNN quoted US officials as saying that Washington is still waiting for European officials to submit a final plan for training Ukrainian pilots to fly Western fighter jets. US officials also said that this process should take place on the territory of two NATO members, Romania and Denmark.

White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby previously stated that Ukraine will receive F-16 aircraft before the end of this year.

World - The arduous journey of learning to fly F-16 fighter jets for Ukrainian pilots — A US pilot navigates an F-16 Fighting Falcon at the 86th Air Base near Fetesti, Romania, on February 17, 2022. Photo: US News

The delay highlights a divide between the West and Kiev, according to the Washington Post. While allies see the F-16s primarily as a tool to ensure Ukraine’s long-term security, Ukraine hopes to deploy the advanced jets against Russian forces as soon as possible.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi has criticized Western partners for expecting the Ukrainian military to launch a large-scale counteroffensive without modern air power. Ukrainian officials say that without fighter jets like the F-16, they cannot compete fairly with Russia in the skies.

Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines say low-flying Russian helicopters have succeeded in attacking their ground forces in part because Ukraine has failed to adequately threaten them.

The single-engine F-16 fighter jet was introduced in the 1970s and has been updated several times. It is a fighter jet that is highly regarded by US partners around the world. According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, about 3,000 F-16s with a top speed of Mach 2 (equivalent to 2,400 km/h) are in service worldwide.

The commander of the Ukrainian air force, General Serhii Holubtsov, said that the F-16 is equipped with a powerful radar system, allowing Ukraine to identify more targets and counter enemy aircraft, missiles and drones better than Ukraine's current fighter fleet, which includes the Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-27.

Ukraine could also deploy UK-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles from its F-16s – which Kiev does not currently have – to target the Russian navy, which regularly launches missiles from the Black Sea, Mr Holubtsov said.

The Ukrainian commander also said that the high-speed anti-radiation missiles, or HARMs, that the US sent to Ukraine last year could also be launched from F-16s. “They have been adapted for use on MiG-29 fighters, but due to the lack of targeting systems, their effectiveness is significantly limited,” he said .

Minh Duc (According to Washington Post, Kyiv Independent, TASS)

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