NYT: Ukraine to receive six F-16s by summer

11 March, 2024 The F-16 fighter in Denmark, on which Ukrainian pilots are trained. February 2024. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

The first six F-16 fighter jets will be delivered to Ukraine by the summer of this year. The New York Times reported on it. The newspaper reports that twelve pilots so far are expected to be ready to fly F-16s in combat by this summer after 10 months of training in Denmark, Britain and the United States.

At the same time, the authors of the article emphasize that by the time the pilots return to Ukraine, as few as six F-16s will have been delivered out of about 45 of the fighter jets that European allies have promised. In addition, the publication claims that Ukrainian pilots have not yet arrived at the training center at the Romanian Fetesti air base, 150 kilometers east of Bucharest, where they were supposed to receive flight training on F-16s.

Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

"But there's a catch: The Ukrainian pilots have yet to arrive, despite the declarations last summer that the center would play a crucial role in getting them into the air to defend their country from increasingly deadly Russian strikes," the report said. The publication writes that the F-16 fighter jets are ready, and pilot-instructors are waiting at a new training center in Romania. It was created jointly with other allies and Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of these US combat aircraft, to train Ukrainians and other NATO members.

The article emphasizes that this does not mean that Ukrainian pilots are not training. Ukrainians are currently being trained in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

F-16s for Ukraine

Eight Ukrainian pilots began F-16 training in Denmark in August 2023. The training takes place at the air base in Skrydstrup, where the Danish Air Force's fighter wing, consisting of the 727th and 730th squadrons, is stationed.

Moreover, 65 personnel will be trained in maintaining and servicing the jets. In February, the Danish Ministry of Defense announced that the first Danish F-16 fighter jet would be delivered to Ukraine this summer. However, the final delivery of the first fighter jets depends on whether Ukrainian pilots and personnel are fully trained and whether the necessary logistics and infrastructure are deployed.

Previously, Ukrainian pilots and technicians demonstrated and talked about training on F-16 fighter jets.