UK prepares another group of future Ukrainian F-16 pilots, bringing total number of trainees to 200

Another group of Ukrainian military personnel completed elementary flying training for F-16 fighter jets in the U.K., the British Royal Air Force (RAF) reported on Oct. 22.

British instructors have trained a total of 200 Ukrainian pilots so far, according to British Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard.

The U.K. and other allies have been training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s at an accelerated pace due to Kyiv's urgent need for air defense against intensifying Russian bombardments.

"The next step is advanced fast jet training and conversion to F-16 with partner nations," the RAF's statement read.

Pollard and Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.K. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, former commander-in-chief, attended the graduation ceremony.

Zaluzhnyi thanked the U.K. government for its continued support, which "gives (Ukraine) a chance to win."

The first group of Ukrainian pilots graduated from a full training course in the U.S. in May, and Denmark prepared 50 Ukrainian F-16 maintenance specialists in June.

Yet, only 11 F-16 pilots are currently flying in Ukraine, though a full squadron consists of 40. Ukraine received its first U.S.-made fourth-generation jets in late July, one year after Denmark, the Netherlands, and other foreign partners launched a fighter jet coalition for Kyiv.

The pace of the training program came into question after a recently delivered F-16 operated by Ukraine's top pilot, Oleksii Mes, crashed while defending against a Russian drone and missile attack on Aug. 26. Mes, call sign "Moonfish," was killed in the crash.

US revising F-16 training to focus on younger pilots, WSJ reports

The shift could extend the training program by months, delaying the Ukrainian squadron’s battlefield readiness even further.

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert