Summary and Key Points You Need to Know: Ukraine may receive more F-16 Fighting Falcons to bolster its air defense against Russian missile and drone attacks. Denmark is exploring plans to send an additional batch of F-16s, in addition to the 19 jets already pledged.

-Ukrainian pilots are undergoing F-16 training at Fetesti Air Base in Romania, a facility established by a coalition led by the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States.

-This new training base will reduce travel time for Ukrainian pilots, allowing for more focused preparation.

-The initiative aims to enhance Ukraine's air defense capabilities amid ongoing Russian aggression.

More F-16s Could be Heading to Ukraine – Pilots to Receive Training in Romania

It was last month that Kyiv deployed the U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcons in combat for the first time to counter Russian missile and drone attacks, and while the initial results were promising – with the jets greatly aiding in Ukraine's air defenses – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for additional aircraft. It now appears they may be coming.

Danish media outlets reported on Sunday that Copenhagen is exploring plans to send "another batch" of American-made F-16 Fighting Falcons to Ukraine. Denmark had previously committed to supplying 19 of the multirole fighters.

The second batch of fighters could be provided by the end of this year, according to Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, who said that exactly when and how many aircraft could be provided was "classified for operational security reasons."

In early August, Ukraine received the first ten F-16s. NATO members Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway pledged to provide at least 79 of the fourth-generation aircraft.

Training Also Required

Ukrainian aviators have largely received a "crash course" of sorts, with the training on the F-16s reduced to several months instead of the years that Western pilots have received. That fact may have led to the loss of one of the F-16s late last month.

Though Kyiv did not identify the pilot, the Ukrainian Air Force did name the pilot as Oleksiy Mes. He was reported to be among the first Ukrainians to be trained on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and his loss may be even more significant than the fighters.

On Monday, it was reported that more than a dozen Ukrainian pilots are set to begin F-16 training in Romania – where 14 of the 18 F-16s pledged by the Netherlands have also arrived.

"The pilots are being trained at Fetesti Air Base, a facility established under a coalition led by the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States to bolster Ukraine's air defence capabilities," Airforce-Technology reported.

The training at the F-16 facility in Romania will mean the Ukrainian aviators will spend more time training and less time traveling. Previously, Kyiv's F-16 pilots received their final training at Flyvestation Skrydstrup (Skrydstrup Air Base) in Denmark. The pilots will now train at the Fetesti Air Base in eastern Romania.

It was set up late last year with assistance from Lockheed Martin to train Romanian Air Force (RoAF) pilots on the Fighting Falcon. Bucharest received a batch of refurbished F-16s from NATO ally Norway that will replace its aging Soviet-era MiG-21s. Those aircraft will be operated until Romania receives its first F-35 Lightning IIs later this decade.

The first class of Romanian pilots graduated in July, and now the facility will be employed to train Ukrainians.

"Another great step that the first Ukrainian pilots have now started their training. They will lay a solid foundation at the European F-16 training centre so that they can defend their country with the fighter aircraft against the incessant Russian attacks," said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in a statement. "We will continue to work together with our allies to strengthen the Ukrainian air defence. This is urgently needed."

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.