Training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s: partners create coalition

11 partner countries signed a memorandum with Ukraine on the conditions for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. This was announced by the Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov.

“Today, 11 partner states + Ukraine signed a Memorandum outlining the terms. I’m especially grateful to Denmark and the Netherlands for their outstanding leadership in this process,” Reznikov added.

The Ukrainian World Congress welcomed the decision of the partner countries. “More important is the political decision to actually provide Ukraine with the aircraft, for these pilots to fly and defend Ukrainian lives,” UWC President Paul Grod stated. 

We welcome announcement by coalition for F-16 training of the Ukrainian Air Force. More important is the political decision to actually provide Ukraine with the aircraft, for these pilots to fly and defend Ukrainian lives. #NATOSummit stop dithering & give Ukraine F16s.

— Paul Grod (@PaulMGrod) July 11, 2023

Ukrainian pilots, technicians and other personnel will participate in the training program. The memorandum also provides for the possibility of including other types of fighter aircraft in the program. In addition, the coalition is ready to consider other means of granting Ukraine with fully functional F-16 capabilities.

The group includes Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The training will begin at the end of the summer in Denmark, the Ministry of Defense of the country reported.

“It is crucial that the Ukrainians get the opportunity to protect their air space. The first step is to teach them to fly, maintain and repair the F-16 fighters in basic tactical and technical levels. This is a large-scale and long-term work so it is important that there is an extensive circle of countries, which are uniting their efforts to fulfil this task,” Troels Lund Poulsen, acting Minister of Defense of Denmark, stated.

In the long run this [training Ukrainian on F-16s] will be of great significance for Ukraine’s fight for freedom, Poulsen added.

“F-16s will protect Ukraine’s skies and NATO’s Eastern Flank. The Ukrainian Air Force is prepared to master them [fighter jets] as quickly as possible. Ukraine will win,” Ukraine’s Defense Minister concluded.