By the time the pilots returned to Ukraine, of the 45 fighters promised by the Western allies, only six F-16s could be delivered, the media wrote.
Twelve Ukrainian pilots will be ready for combat missions in F-16 fighters this summer. However, there may not be enough planes for them. This was reported by The New York Times on Monday, March 11.
The publication writes that F-16 fighters are ready, and instructor pilots are waiting at a new training center in Romania at the Fetesti airbase, which was created to train Ukrainians and other NATO allies .
But there’s a catch: The Ukrainian pilots have yet to arrive, despite claims last summer that the center would play a critical role in getting them into the air to defend their country against increasingly deadly Russian strikes.
It was noted that it is not yet clear when the training of Ukrainian pilots will begin at the center.
“This does not mean that Ukrainian pilots are not preparing. Twelve pilots – less than an entire squadron – are expected to be ready for F-16 combat missions this summer after 10 months of training in Denmark, UK and USA ,” the journalists wrote.
It is argued that by the time the pilots return to Ukraine, of the 45 fighters promised by the Western allies, only six F-16s will be delivered.
Earlier, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte named the minimum number of F-16s for Ukraine. In total, his country has 42 such aircraft in service.
Denmark will also provide 19 fighter aircraft. This country named the approximate timing for the transfer of F-16 to Ukraine.
The transfer of F-16s was also announced by Norway, which has about 60 aircraft.
Source: korrespondent
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.