According to information provided to Politico, Ukraine expects to graduate only 20 F-16 pilots by the end of this year. This figure is only half of the number needed for a full squadron of 20 aircraft.
Therefore, the Ukrainian authorities are demanding that the US and other countries intensify the training of F-16 pilots.
“Ukraine says it has 30 pilots eligible to begin training in the United States immediately. However, according to three people directly familiar with the request, the Biden administration has told Kyiv that its program in Arizona does not have space to accept more than 12 pilot trainees at a time,” the article states.
Denmark and Romania have a similar problem with available study places.
Therefore, it is expected that by the end of this year, only 20 Ukrainian F-16 pilots will graduate, the publication writes.
One former official said that at this rate, Ukraine will not have a full squadron of trained pilots by the end of 2025.
