Media: training of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 may be delayed until the winter of 2024

The training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters is being delayed due to additional English language courses. About this with reference to high-ranking officials from Ukraine informed The Washington Post.

“While the pilots are already fluent in English, they must first attend a four-month English class in the UK to learn aircraft-related terminology,” the newspaper wrote. It is specified that Denmark insisted on training not only pilots, but also all personnel.

Ukrainian officials note that this pushes back the start of combat training from September of this year to January 2024. At the same time, as the interlocutors of the newspaper said, they do not want to “too much criticize their American and European benefactors, for fear of appearing ungrateful.”

At the same time, the commander of the Center Air Command of the Ukrainian Air Force, Serhiy Golubtsov, said that the selected pilots already have a high level of basic English, and learning additional terminology “will not take much time.”

At the May summit of the leaders of the G7 countries (USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan) in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, an agreement was announced to supply fourth-generation American-made F-16 fighter jets to Kiev. The Pentagon said that the European coalition to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 will be led by Denmark and the Netherlands.

On August 4, NBC News, citing US officials informedthat the supply of aircraft will not change the situation in the war zone. A similar statement was made by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the end of July. According to him, “Even if the decision on the F-16 was made tomorrow, it would be several months before they begin to apply.”