US adjusts F-16 pilot training program for Ukraine – WSJ
The US is redirecting its training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots toward young cadets rather than experienced Air Force personnel, and this decision could extend the timeline for when Kyiv receives a fully operational squadron of Western-made aircraft by many months.
Sources interviewed by Wall Street Journal journalists say the shift in focus is due to a shortage of experienced Ukrainian pilots who possess the necessary English language skills for deployment on the battlefield.
Some officials have also indicated that the US believes young cadets will be more receptive to Western-style training.
The publication noted that this training course has become a topic of discussion, especially in the light of the F-16 crash that occurred in Ukraine in August.
Sources interviewed by journalists suggest that a complete squadron of F-16s, comprising 20 aircraft and 40 pilots, is unlikely to arrive in Ukraine before spring or summer 2025.
The publication noted that trainees will need to spend a year in the UK and France for initial training before moving on to practical instruction on the F-16 course in Arizona and Romania. In contrast, experienced pilots may be able to bypass the basic flight training.
"It is a mix. Some have been experienced pilots, and we still are receiving more experienced pilots. But there’s also those that do not have that kind of pilot training and experience," a Pentagon representative said.
US officials also claim that Ukrainian trainees have encountered challenges with certain aspects of the training program, particularly regarding the level of English proficiency required to complete the course.
Sources, citing American instructors, have indicated that some Ukrainian pilots from the initial group of students "were resistant to American training methods". These pilots had experience flying Soviet MiG fighter jets and had recently returned from active combat zones.
Sources interviewed by journalists indicate that this dynamic reflects a common tension in military training between NATO instructors, who adhere to established methods, and Ukrainians, who face urgent needs in their war against Russia and often possess more combat experience than their Western instructors.
The F-16 crash was first reported by several Western media outlets, citing sources from both Ukrainian and American sides.
It was revealed that the F-16s had been involved in repelling one of Russia's most massive air assaults on Ukraine on 26 August.
On the evening of 29 August, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the crash of an F-16 fighter jet during the defence against one of Russia's air attacks.
Following this incident, doubts arose among Western allies regarding the haste of pilot training and their deployment into combat just weeks after their arrival.