Pentagon Says US And Allies Will Continue F-16 Fighter Jet Training For Ukrainian Pilots

JAKARTA - The United States, its allies and partners plan to continue training more Ukrainian pilots to use American F-16 fighter jets, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh.

"In the F-16 program, we have led with the International Air Capability Coalition. We have trained several Ukrainian pilots. You know that training has been carried out here in the United States, but of course other countries have taken Ukrainian pilots and are continuing to train them", Singh explained in a routine briefing.

"I'm not going to discuss specific figures right now, but I think you must be experienced in all the training. And you know, the Air Capability Coalition is still working to train more additional pilots when it's ready."

Earlier, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Sergey Melnyk said the training period for Ukrainian pilots on US F-16 fighter jets had been reduced by three months.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky informed that the second wave of F-16 fighter jets had arrived in Ukraine from Denmark. He did not specify how many fighter jets were delivered.

In November 2024, Danish authorities said six F-16 fighter jets had been handed over to Ukraine and 13 other aircraft were planned to be delivered.

The F-16 fighter jet became one of Ukraine's war equipment to the West, to face Russian air superiority.

Last August, President Zelensky said Ukraine began flying F-16 fighter jets for domestic operations, quoted by Reuters.

The arrival of these jets is a milestone for Ukraine after months of waiting, although it remains unclear how much is available and how big the impact will be on increasing air defenses and on the battlefield.

Speaking to reporters on the runway of an airfield, President Zelensky said Ukraine still doesn't have enough pilots trained to use the F-16 or enough of the jets themselves.

"The positive thing is we expect additional F-16s, a lot of people are currently training," he said.

Important, he said, Kyiv allies found ways to expand training programs and opportunities for pilots and Ukrainian engineering teams.

Ukraine has previously relied on an aging Soviet-era fleet of warplanes that are losing to weapons by its more advanced Russian fleet and far more numerous.

Denmark has committed to donating a total of 19 jets to Ukraine, while the Netherlands has pledged to ship 24 aircraft.

The two countries have been the driving force behind the international coalition to supply Ukraine with the F-16. Norway also said it would donate six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the fighter jet pilot and ground staff have been trained by Western Ukrainian partners for months.

Russia itself has confirmed that it will shoot down F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine, saying the jets will not have a significant impact on the course of war.

"If I'm not mistaken, a reward (for Russian troops shooting their down) has been offered," a Kremlin spokesman said last August, when asked about Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets.

"These planes will emerge and gradually the numbers will decrease, they will be shot down and destroyed," he said.

"This (aircraft) shipment will not be able to significantly affect the dynamics of events on the front lines," he added.