Press
To strengthen its air defense, Kiev is receiving dozens of F-16 fighter jets in the Ukraine war. However, the process from delivery and pilot training to deployment is lengthy.
Kyiv/Brussels – At Volodymyr Zelenskyy During his visit to Belgium, he visited the Melsbroek military airport, among other places. There, the Ukrainian president was informed on Tuesday (28 May) about the preparations for the delivery of F-16 fighter jets. Zelensky also met with instructors who train Ukrainian pilots for the use of the F-16.
Belgium has made far-reaching promises to Ukraine regarding the delivery of fighter jets and other military aid worth almost one billion euros. According to Zelensky, an agreement on bilateral security cooperation signed in Brussels on Tuesday provides for the handover of F-16s to begin this year and for a total of 30 aircraft to be made available by 2028. The first pilots are now gradually completing their F-16 training. Is the first deployment imminent?
After training F-16 pilots: Ukraine hopes to deploy fighter jets in June
One year of training at a US Air Force base in Tucson: The first group of Ukrainian pilots has completed the first part of the F-16 training. This is reported Politico“Out of a sense of caution for their safety,” Captain Erin Hannigan of the Arizona Army National Guard declined to disclose how many people were involved or on what day this part of the training ended.
According to the KyivPost The pilots were said to have had experience with Soviet-era fighter aircraft and sufficient English skills. They will now continue with advanced training in Europe. It is expected that the F-16 will be deployed for the first time in the Ukraine war in June or July.
The core of the pilots has already returned to Ukraine, Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, told the portal Euromaidan Press. “The specialists will also be able to share their experience with other Ukrainian military engineers.”
In Europe, Britain had taken the lead in training fighter pilots. “Dozens of Ukrainian aircraft technicians will receive technical training in English so that they can participate in coalition training and support,” it said in a statement. Statement from the Royal Air Force in February. Training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots is also taking place in Romania.
Belgium is part of a coalition of European allies around the Netherlands and Denmark, which have promised Ukraine F-16s. Ukraine is to receive a total of more than 60 fighter jets, the first part “as far as possible by the end of 2024”.
Ukraine stresses need for F-16 delivery
Kiev has repeatedly stressed the importance of supplying fighter jets. Russia currently has “complete air sovereignty” in the occupied territories. The Ukrainian army hopes to be able to turn the situation in its favor with the F-16s and protect ground troops.
To this end, Ukraine continues to attack Russian air defense systems such as the S400 and asks its allies in the West for more Patriots to protect its own airspace from aircraft, missiles and drones. However, Ukraine lacks modern combat aircraft. Whether the F-16 is really a “game changer” in the Ukraine War It remains to be seen whether this will happen. Some experts believe that the delivery of the fighter jets will be too late.
Russia is already warning: If the F-16s attack from military bases of third countries, these bases would become legitimate targets for the Russian army, said President Putin in March. But this scenario is not up for debate at all. For the Kremlin chief, it is clear that the F-16s would not change the military situation. “We will destroy their aircraft just as we are now destroying their tanks, armored vehicles and other technology such as multiple rocket launchers.” Russia will also prepare for the fact that the F-16s could potentially be equipped with nuclear weapons. (lrg/dpa)
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