The US is expected to announce that it will host training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, according to two US officials.
It is unclear exactly when the training program will begin and it is not expected to include a large number of pilots, the officials said. The pilots still need to go through English language training before they can begin learning to operate the fourth-generation American jets. The language classes will also take place in the US.
Ukraine put forward a list of approximately 32 pilots who are ready to begin training on F-16 fighter jets, according to another US official, but most did not have a strong enough command of the English language yet, a necessary requirement since the jetโs instrumentation and manuals are all in English.
The pilots, along with some personnel who will receive training on maintaining the aircraft, could arrive in the US as soon as next month, one official said. Once the language instruction is complete, the Ukrainian pilots will be able to begin training to fly the F-16s, one official said. It is not yet clear how long it will take to train the pilots, who have flown Soviet-era MIG and Sukhoi fighters, to fly more modern western jets.
A Defense Department spokesman pointed to comments from Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday, who said the US was โprepared to support a training effort here in the continental United States if capacity is reached in Europe.โ
It is unclear where the US will conduct the training, but officials said one option would be for it to take place at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, Arizona. The base hosted two Ukrainian fighter pilots in March to evaluate how fast they can learn to fly the F-16, a program which showed the Ukrainian pilot demonstrated above average abilities in several different areas.
Davis-Monthan is also home to the 162nd Wing, a part…
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