On November 13, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren and Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr inaugurated the European F-16 Fighter Pilot Training Center at Feteşti Air Base, where Ukrainian pilots will be trained.
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| Ukrainian pilots are being trained to fly US-made F-16 fighter jets. (Source: Radio Free Europe) |
The training course for F-16 pilots is scheduled to last six months. The training center is located 150 km east of the capital Bucharest. Lockheed, the company that produces the F-16 fighter jet, is providing instructors and technical experts for the course.
Earlier, on November 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Netherlands and Prime Minister Mark Rutte for supporting Kiev, including the transfer of five F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which were sent to Romania.
Ukraine has long requested F-16s from its allies. The US and Denmark have reportedly begun training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.
In August 2023, Denmark said nine Ukrainian pilots had begun training at a military base in Skrydstrup, about 270 km west of Copenhagen, along with maintenance and service personnel.
The Netherlands has pledged to provide up to 18 fighter jets for the programme, which will also train pilots from Romania and other NATO countries.
During a visit to Bucharest in October 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he and his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, discussed ways to speed up the training of Ukrainian pilots to help them become "one of the first on the front line".
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