The United States is shifting the focus of its F-16 training program for Ukrainian pilots to prioritize younger trainees, potentially delaying the Ukrainian squadron's readiness to fight, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Oct. 17.
The U.S. and other allies have been training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s at an acclerated pace due to Kyiv's urgent need for air defense against intensifying Russian bombardments. The shortened training came under scrutiny after an F-16 pilot was killed in a crash during a Russian attack in August.
While the initial instruction program focused on experienced Ukrainian pilots, lack of requisite English-language abilities and difficulties adapting to Western-style training have prompted a shift to younger pilots, U.S. officials told the WSJ.
"It is a mix," a senior Pentagon official told the WSJ regarding the makeup of the Ukrainian trainees.
"Some have been experienced pilots, and we still are receiving more experienced pilots. But there's also those that do not have that kind of pilot training and experience."
Those with experience flying Soviet-era fighter jets are able to skip basic flight training and take the accelerated course, while newer cadets must spend a year training as pilots before moving to the F-16 training bases in the U.S. and Romania.
Shifting to younger pilots could thus extend the F-16 training program by months, delaying the Ukrainian squadron's battlefield readiness even further as Russian attacks continue to pummel the nation's energy grid and civilian neighborhoods.
According to a person with knowledge of the F-16 program, even before the shift, Ukraine would not likely have a full squadron of F-16s until spring or summer of 2025 at the earliest.
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.
"To get an experienced pilot, you need an experienced pilot. That's just a fact of life," David Deptula, the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told the WSJ.
"You don’t come out of elementary school and become an Olympic athlete in a couple of months."
Oleksiy Sorokin
(Updated: )
