What You Need to Know: Ukraine is shifting its F-16 training focus to younger, less experienced pilots to accelerate the transition to the American-made fighter jet.

-Initially, experienced Ukrainian pilots were prioritized, but the demanding pace, language barriers, and differences in training styles led to setbacks, including an August accident. With future training set to take place in Romania and supported by NATO countries like Greece, the goal is to streamline and localize the program.

-However, the transition may delay Kyiv's deployment of a full F-16 squadron until spring or summer 2024. NATO allies have pledged around 90 F-16s for Ukraine once pilots are ready.

Ukraine Prioritizes Younger Pilots for F-16 Training Amid Delays

The Wall Street Journal first reported this month that a great emphasis will be placed on training younger Ukrainian pilots on the American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon. Officials told the paper of record that it would shift the priority to younger trainees, as the accelerated pace on the F-16 may have contributed to the loss of an aircraft and pilot in August.

The initial instruction had focused on pilots with flight and even combat experience, but there was still a considerable learning curve – due in part to the need to learn English and then adapt to Western-style training. Instead, the training will shift to younger pilots, who may not need to "unlearn" some of what they know.

"It's a mix," a senior Pentagon official told the WSJ, adding, "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."

However, the transition to younger pilots could delay how quickly Kyiv will be able to get the F-16s into the air – and even before the shift, it wasn't likely that a full squadron of Fighting Falcons would have taken flight until the spring or even summer of next year. As of now, just eleven F-16 pilots have been trained – far short of the full 40 that make up a squadron. 

Pilot training really isn't something that can be rushed.

"To get an experienced pilot, you need an experienced pilot. That's just a fact of life," David Deptula, the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told the WSJ. "You don’t come out of elementary school and become an Olympic athlete in a couple of months."

More Training Opportunities

The first batch of Ukrainian pilots to be trained on the F-16 had to travel to the United States, with some of the aviators learning the ropes in Arizona – a region quite dissimilar to their native land.

Future pilots won't have to travel halfway around the world, and instead will train in neighboring Romania it was also announced this week.

"The government has approved the legal procedures and conditions for the training of Ukrainian personnel who will operate F-16 aircraft, which will take place at the 86th Fete ti airbase," said Mihai Constantin, spokesperson for the Romanian Government, as reported by European Pravda. "In the context of the ongoing war on Romania's borders, providing this support is an investment in national and allied security, which can be a signal of the solidarity of the European Union, NATO and partner countries."

Training for the next batch of pilots is set to begin later this year. It is unclear if some of the pilots will also head to Lockheed Martin's European F-16 Training Center (EFTC). The facility was established last year to enhance mission readiness throughout Europe by training Romanian pilots to fly and operate the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The first class of Romanian pilots completed their training this past summer.

Greece also announced it would provide additional resources that could aid in accelerating F-16 training as part of a new pact signed by multiple NATO members. 

As soon as the Ukrainian aviators complete their training, they'll likely have aircraft waiting for them. NATO members Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands had pledged to provide Kyiv with upwards of 90 of the multirole all-weather aircraft. On Thursday, Oslo announced that six would soon be on the way to Ukraine.

There have been multiple reports that a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name Fullback) recently. 

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].

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