The United States announced that in October it will begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighters

Ukrainian military pilots will begin training in October to fly American F-16 fighter jets at Morris Air Force Base in Arizona. This was announced by Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder.

“Following English language training for pilots in September, F-16 pilot training will begin in October at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, with the assistance of the National Guard's 162nd Wing,” Ryder said during a briefing for reporters ( quoted by CNN).

A US Department of Defense spokesman could not say how many pilots would come to the United States, but admitted that the group would include “several pilots and dozens of support personnel.”

The Washington Post wrote earlier in August that six-month training for Ukrainian pilots will begin no earlier than January 2024, since before that they must undergo four-month English language courses in the UK. CNN sources said on August 24 that Ukrainian pilots will take English language courses in the United States, after which they will begin training with the F-16.

In March, two Ukrainian fighter pilots were stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to see how quickly they could learn to fly the F-16. Ukrainian pilots, as tested, demonstrated above average abilities in several areas.

• Earlier this week, the Netherlands and Denmark announced they would transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after completing training for Ukrainian pilots. The Netherlands will transfer 42 fighters, Denmark - 19. The Danish Ministry of Defense said that pilots will begin training at the end of August. Norway also promised planes , but how many and when is still unknown.
• In July, the coordinator for strategic communications of the US National Security Council, John Kirby , admitted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would receive F-16 fighters by the end of 2023.
• Military experts Franz-Stefan Gadi and Michael Kofman, in an article for The Economist , said that the supply of F-16 fighters will not help the Ukrainian army achieve quick success at the front.