Although the Western partners have set ambitious timelines for the delivery of the jets, they still have to complete the finalization of plans regarding pilot instruction, Politico reported.

As noted, Denmark and the Netherlands are leading a coalition of 11 countries to support the training, but so far no government has publicly involved aircraft in the program.

Where could the training take place?

One proposal that has been discussed would have involved sending Ukrainian pilots to the United States to train with the 162nd Air Wing. This Arizona-based Air National Guard unit already trains foreign partners on the F-16. But this idea seems to have been unsuccessful.

Another plan calls for sending U.S. military pilots to Europe to train Ukrainians somewhere outside the United States. U.S. officials emphasized that no final decisions have been made.

“Cooperation is ongoing. We are working with our partners and allies to determine the most practical way to implement this plan,” said one of the interlocutors.

What has already been done?

The coalition has already taken some steps to start training. Aerospace contractor Draken International has begun recruiting retired military pilots to train Ukrainians. These activities will take place at a facility under construction in Romania, which is to become a regional F-16 training center.

European officials also said that another training center will be established in Denmark.

So when will the training begin?

European partners hope that training can begin this summer, most likely in Europe, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said recently. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom plans to start basic flight and language training for Ukrainian pilots within weeks.

Despite the various ambitious timelines, training on the F-16 cannot begin until the U.S. State Department officially approves the transfer of relevant training materials, such as operating manuals and flight simulators. This approval has not yet occurred.

When asked recently about the delay, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan blamed the Europeans, saying that these countries need a few more weeks to put the necessary training infrastructure in place.

And when will the planes be delivered?

The White House claimed that Ukraine could receive the F-16s by the end of this year. However, U.S. officials told Politico that the planes will not actually arrive until spring.

“We’ll probably get some pilots in by the end of the year, but the actual F-16s with Ukrainian colors [are unlikely to arrive before spring],” one U.S. official said.

See also

Russia plans to move to the East of Kharkiv region – ISW. This includes capturing the rest of Luhansk region and moving westward to the eastern part of Kharkiv and the Northern part of Donetsk regions.

Ukraine prepares for the second wave of counteroffensive – BILD. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announces a new counterattack phase on the Russian army.