US to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots – DW – 08/25/2023

The US Pentagon said it will begin training Ukrainian F-16 pilots on American soil starting September, in an attempt to ready them for advanced aircraft. 

The training will include “several” pilots and “dozens” of personnel to maintain the jets, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said.

“These pilots will be conducting English language training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas in September prior to attending F-16 flying training in Arizona,” he added.

Ukraine has been vying for more sophisticated aircraft to aid its counteroffensive against the Russian invasion.

The F-16 flight training will take place at the Morris Air National Guard Base, Ryder said.

The US’ training plans come after several European nations have announced plans to train Ukrainian air force pilots to fly the US-made F-16.

The announcement came when US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to wish him on Ukraine’s Independence Day and reaffirm Washington’s support to fight back Russian forces. 

Zelenskyy thanked Biden in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 

“The U.S. took the lead in rallying global support for Ukraine. This crucial leadership enabled our struggle and bent the arc of history toward good.”

Ukraine is likely to receive F-16 fighter jets from the US soon, a top US general said, adding that the counteroffensive against the Russian invasion had been slow and had partial success. 

“F-16s. That is moving forward, actually. So there’s a training program in place and they’ll likely receive F-16s … in the not-too-distant future,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said in an interview with a TV news channel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said he had received pledges from Denmark and Netherlands to deliver F-16s.

Russia said that Ukraine tried to attack civilian targets on its territory with a modified S-200 missile.

The alleged missile was destroyed by Russia’s air defense systems over the Kaluga region which borders Moscow, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Kaluga region has recently been targeted regularly by drone attacks, as per Russian authorities.

Ukraine is yet to respond to the accusation.

Meanwhile, several drones were also destroyed off Crimea, Russia said.

“Several UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were destroyed over the sea in the area of Cape Khersones” in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol wrote on Telegram.

Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been increasingly targeted by Kyiv, which has repeatedly said it plans to take back the territory. 

Russian emergency services did not report any damage to civilian infrastructure.