Ukraine's Air Forces reveal how many pilots need F-16 training

He said that Ukraine has many young and experienced pilots who have combat experience and are proficient in the English language. These pilots will be the first to undergo training to use the F-16 aircraft.

"It will not be training, but retraining for a new type of aircraft. They will need to understand how everything works. They will need to change their philosophy - transitioning from old Soviet technology to Western technology," said Ihnat.

He added that the first group has already been prepared for training, which will depend on the level of experience of each pilot. Some will undergo ground training first, while others will proceed directly to flight training.

"Various aircraft will be used for training, but they will be Western, modern aircraft with adaptive cockpits. The training will then progress to jet aircraft - this training process will be lengthy," the spokesperson noted.

He added that for pilots who will immediately fly the F-16, the training process will be shorter.

"The training perspective for our pilots will be long-term. We must train all our pilots and fully replace the Soviet fleet of Su-24s, MiG-29s, and Su-27s with Western aircraft," Ihnat explained.

He noted that Ukraine needs several squadrons of aircraft to fully defend its airspace against kamikaze drones and missiles, support ground forces' advancement, and protect its coastal areas.

F-16 for Ukraine

On July 11, a coalition was officially formed to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16. It includes 11 countries, with the Netherlands and Denmark leading the coalition.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said, pilot training will begin in August or early September. The first F-16 fighters may be expected by the end of March 2024.

Romania will start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets as early as next month.