It will not be as long as the Russians hope: Ignat on F-16 pilot training
Training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets is to begin at the end of August 2023.
This was confirmed by the Air Force spokesman, Colonel Yuriy Ihnat, at a briefing at the Ukraine-Ukrinform media centre.
– “We are targeting the end of summer to start sending pilots to European countries for training. We need to understand that it will not be quick, but it will not be as long as the Russians hope,” he said.
Ihnat expressed hope that Ukrainian pilots will master the F-16 aircraft as quickly as they mastered the Patriot air defence system.
– “The only thing is that the entire aviation coalition, all the countries that have training bases, simulators, instructors, training bases and aircraft, should join in, because we need to get through this training programme as quickly as possible,” said the Air Force spokesman.
He noted that it takes up to six months for pilots to master the controls of F-16 fighters. But under certain conditions, this period can be reduced to four months.
On 2 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s would begin this month.
According to the head of state, it is now worth working 100% with those countries that have these aircraft and will be able to transfer them after training.
