Ukraine will not be able to receive F-16 fighters from the allies in the coming autumn or winter.
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On August 16, Air Force speaker Yury Ignat said this on the air of the national telethon.
It is already clear that we will not be able to defend Ukraine with F-16s this fall and winter. Therefore, now it is necessary to strengthen air defense, the speaker of the Air Force emphasized.
There were high hopes for the plane, he said, as it could become part of the air defense and help defend against Russian missile terrorism.
But be that as it may, the issue has moved forward. We understand that our pilots will be learning in the near future. But at the same time, our air defense needs to be strengthened,” Ignat added.
Today, the Romanian President confirmed that his country will also train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. For this, a regional training center will be opened.
Last week, the United States announced that it was “open to the exercises of Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 on its territory, but together with Europe.”
Our European allies, as I said, are leading this effort. But if the potential for training in Europe is reached, we are certainly open to training Ukrainian pilots here in the United States,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council.
He recalled that US President Joe Biden made it clear at the G7 summit in Hiroshima that Washington supports the provision of F-16s to the Ukrainian air force.
And the reason why we are doing this is part of a broader effort to make sure we continue to improve Ukrainian self-defense and military capabilities over the long term,” Kirby said.
At the same time, he stressed that obtaining such modern aircraft as the F-16 takes some time.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.