F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots begins
Ukrainian pilots have begun training on F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Saturday in an interview with Ukrainian media, CNN reports, as picked up by News.ro and Digi24.
Reznikov said the training is being conducted in a country that has not been disclosed, and that it will take at least six months to complete. He added that a number of Ukrainian engineers and technicians are also being trained on the F-16s.
The training is being conducted by a coalition of 11 NATO countries, including Romania. The United States has also approved the transfer of F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine, but the jets will not be delivered until the Ukrainian pilots have completed their training.
Reznikov said the F-16s will be a "game-changer" for the Ukrainian military, and that they will help to level the playing field against Russian forces. He added that the jets will also be used to protect Ukrainian civilians from Russian airstrikes.
The training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s is a significant development in the war in Ukraine. The jets are much more advanced than the Soviet-era planes that Ukraine currently has, and they will give the Ukrainian military a much-needed boost in its fight against Russia.
