The US has limitations in its training program that prevent it from training more than 12 F-16 pilots for Ukraine this year, despite calls from Kiev. According to Politico, three anonymous sources familiar with the situation revealed that while Ukraine has 30 pilots qualified to participate in training to operate F-16 fighters in the US, Washington has informed Kiev that they can only accept a maximum of 12 students in each training course.
Ukrainian officials have been urging the US to train more pilots in a course at Morris Base of the Arizona Air National Guard. Lawmakers, including leaders of the US House Intelligence Committee, have also urged President Joe Biden’s administration to approve this proposal and prioritize training fighter pilots for Kiev. However, US government officials continuously raise a series of obstacles, including limiting the number of students per course due to commitments to train F-16 pilots for many other countries.
According to Major Erin Hannigan, an Arizona National Guard spokeswoman, the US military must consider various factors such as budget, requirements of each country, and pilot availability to determine how many foreign pilots can complete the English course and be assigned tasks. The US National Guard is planning to train a total of 12 Ukrainian pilots before October this year.
Despite the potential benefits of deploying F-16 fighters, some US officials warn that the aircraft alone will not significantly change the outcome on the battlefield. US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall admitted that while the F-16 can improve Ukraine’s combat capabilities, it may not be a game-changer in the conflict. Some US officials also raise concerns about the vulnerability of F-16s to Russian air defenses. However, Ukrainian officials remain hopeful that with increased military aid and support from Western countries like France and Germany, they can turn their air force into a formidable force against Russian aggression.
