F-16 for Ukraine: Ukraine and the Netherlands set date for the start of training

8 July, 2023 F-16 fighter jets. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands Ukraine and the Netherlands have set the dates for the start of the training mission for Ukrainian F-16 pilots.

President Volodymyr Zelensky made the corresponding announcement on Saturday, July 8. The day before, during his visit to Turkey, President Volodymyr Zelensky held a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. In particular, they had a discussion about the training of Ukrainians on Western combat aircraft.

"We discussed defense cooperation and preparations for the Global Peace Summit. The dates for starting the training mission for Ukrainian F-16 pilots have been set. Positions were coordinated on the eve of the Vilnius NATO summit," Zelensky wrote in Telegram. He also thanked for the steadfast principled stance of the Netherlands on the Russian invasion.

F-16 flight simulator.

Photo credits: CAE USA

In May, it became known that Denmark and the Netherlands would lead a European coalition to conduct training for Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 fighter jets. Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that dozens of Ukrainian pilots would undergo training on the F-16 fighter jets, and predicted that the training could take up to four months. He added that the F-16 would primarily be mastered by young pilots who had better ability to master the latest technologies.

F-16 of the 8th Fighter Wing "Wolf Pack" of the U.S.

Air Force. Photo from the aviation regiment social media page

It is expected that the training will take place entirely in Europe, but American specialists will also be involved. The United States received a request from Denmark to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 fighter jets.

The representative of the US Department of State said that the potential transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine with the participation of third countries may last several months.

An F-16 fighter of the Netherlands Air Force at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

2022. Britain. Photo credits: Andy Reeve-Smith

As for the United States, it currently does not plan to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine, but supports their supply from other countries.

In early July, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that the training schedule of Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel on F-16 fighter jets was shifting.

Exercises were supposed to start last month, but it did not happen.