The Defence Minister of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, stated on Saturday that the training of Ukrainian pilots to operate U.S. F16 fighter jets had commenced. However, he noted that the training would take a minimum of six months, and possibly more.
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This comes two days after a U.S. official revealed that F-16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots were trained. Reznikov disclosed during a TV interview that six months was the minimum amount of time required to train pilots, but the duration for training engineers and mechanics was still unknown. Ukraine desires advanced U.S.-made warplanes to counter the air superiority of Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Reznikov urged people to set a minimum of six months in their minds while building expectations about the training process but cautioned against being disappointed if it takes longer. He further revealed that he would not divulge information on the location and timing of the training.
Additionally, he stated that the training included technical language classes, as the usual basic English level was insufficient.