Ukrainian pilots in the United States for F-16 training

According to the American media there are currently two Ukrainian pilots in the United States to be evaluated by US military personnel.

The assessment is designed to determine how long it might take to train Ukrainian pilots for fighter jets, such as the F-16. Ukrainians’ skills are tested on simulators at a US military base in Tucson. The two pilots could soon be joined by colleagues, as US authorities authorized this month to bring ten more Ukrainian pilots to the United States. Ukraine says dozens of pilots are ready for the trip to America.

The arrival of the two pilots means that the Ukrainian pilots have traveled to the United States for the first time to demonstrate their skills. “The program is about assessing their abilities as pilots so that we can better advise them on how to use the abilities they have that we have given them,” an official said.

F-16 Delivery

The official immediately stressed that the route does not mean that the planes will actually be delivered to Ukraine. If the United States chose to supply F-16s, for example, the costs could amount to more than 10 billion euros, depending on the model and the quantity. The US Air Force estimates that Ukraine will eventually need 50 to 80 F-16s to replace its current air force. Depending on the condition of the aircraft, it could take between a year and a half and six years to deliver that many F-16s to Ukraine.