К июлю Украина сможет задействовать шесть истребителей F-16 из обещанных европейскими странами 45, пишет The New York Times. Задержки связаны с долгим процессом обучения пилотов.
It is expected that by mid-summer, 12 Ukrainian pilots will be ready to fly combat missions on F-16 fighter jets after 10 months of training in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and other countries. However, by the time they return to the front lines, Ukraine will only have six of these aircraft out of the approximately 45 promised by European allies, according to The New York Times article published on Monday, March 11.
The delays are due to the lengthy training process for the Ukrainian flight crew, the NYT notes: although the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s is happening «at lightning speed» compared to standard training, it is still not as fast as Ukraine and its allies had hoped. In order to effectively use these fighter jets, pilots who were trained to fly on Soviet aircraft had to first learn English and familiarize themselves with Western flight technologies, the publication reminds us.
In addition, Washington was reluctant to send the fighters to Kyiv for a long time. The US administration emphasized that the F-16s are unlikely to change the situation on the front lines, as training for their maintenance could take years.
Training of Ukrainians on F-16s
Denmark, , and Belgium have committed to send around 45 fighter jets to Ukraine, which is sufficient for three small squadrons. Denmark will send the first six F-16s at the end of spring, with an additional 13 to arrive by the end of the year and in 2025. Other countries have not yet determined delivery dates.
The training of Ukrainian pilots began in August 2023 at the Skrydstrup Air Base in southern Denmark, where approximately 50 technical specialists are also receiving training for aircraft servicing and repair, as well as for working with armament kits.
The training of technicians may lead to additional delays, writes the NYT, as servicing one F-16 requires between eight and 14 people. Until there are enough crews to maintain the fighter jets, Western contractors will need to accompany the aircraft to Ukraine. In addition, the need for repair of outdated and damaged runways due to war could further delay the arrival of the F-16s on the front lines.
