The US has started training Ukrainian pilots in Arizona on how to fly F-16 fighter jets this week, marking another step toward arming Kyiv with US-made warplanes.
An Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine that a “small number” of Ukrainian pilots are training with the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard in Tucson.
The spokesperson did not give a definitive timeline on when the training will be completed, saying it will take “several months.” Foreign F-16 pilots also need to take English lessons, which Ukrainians started last month in Texas.
When President Biden first approved a plan to arm Ukraine with F-16s earlier this year, it was sold as a European-led effort. Training classes started in Europe in August, but soon after, the Pentagon said it would also train Ukrainian pilots inside the US.
So far, the Netherlands and Denmark have pledged to give F-16s to Ukraine, but it will still take some time until they can be used in battle. The US has left open the possibility of providing its own F-16s, which will become more likely if Congress approves the $61 billion in additional spending on the war that President Biden is seeking.
The provision of F-16s marks a significant escalation in US and NATO support for Ukraine. In the early days of the conflict, NATO ruled out arming Ukraine with warplanes over concerns Russia would view the move as the alliance directly entering the war. But as escalation concerns have waned, Poland and Slovakia have sent Soviet-made MiG-29 jets, and F-16s will eventually be on their way.
So now Maidan-installed Russia-hating government of Ukraine is finding out what “as long as it takes” means in reality.
Let’s get it on!!! The longer it takes for nukes to start flying, the more credibility I lose with my friends and family. It’s suddenly Justin Raimondo’s “Bizarro’s World,” where I find myself in agreement with Lindsey O. (O stands for Satan’s OVERACHIEVING Demon) Graham.
Thanks for letting me start my day with a rather wry smile.
John Boehner said that Ted Cruz is “Satan in the flesh”.
Not escalation …… Desperation.
Just as Obama said, Joe has the ability to f*ck things up.
FJB and his handler obama.
Ukrainian pilot trainees would do well to pay attention to how well their fellow MiG pilots π©π’π₯ been doing this month.
I do not believe Russia has used their best fighters. Yet.
Although not validated, I heard that Russians shot down 10 AFU MiG or SU aircraft πͺπ― π΅π©π¦ ππ’π΄π΅ πΈπ¦π¦π¬.
Bring on the F-16s to join the Western tanks smoking and burning in Ukraine. Whether it is due to the R-37M missile with a 400 Km range or the Russian AWACS Beriev A-50 (NATO reporting name: Mainstay) more Ukrainians will die.
The Ukrainian pilots will just die in a more expensive 40 year old fancy F-16 instead of a 40 year old cheaper MiG-29.
“Meanwhile, the fact of the destruction of 24 Ukrainian combat aircraft within five days caused a real commotion in the Pentagon. Moreover, the fact that all these warplanes were destroyed in the deep rear indicates that Russia has created a powerful new weapon that can affect the effectiveness of all Western aviation……………..”
The link didn’t work.
They will have the same success as the rest of the Ukraine army has had little or none ,