According to information provided by Politico, Ukraine expects to graduate only 20 F-16 pilots by the end of this year. This figure is only half of the required number for a full squadron of 20 aircraft.
Therefore, the Ukrainian authorities require the US and other countries to intensify the training of F-16 pilots.
"Ukraine declares that it has 30 pilots who have the right to immediately start training in the USA. However, according to three people directly familiar with the request, the Biden administration told Kyiv that its Arizona program does not have room for more than 12 pilot trainees at a time,” the article said.
Denmark and Romania have a similar problem with available study places.
Therefore, it is expected that only 20 Ukrainian F-16 pilots will graduate by the end of this year, the publication writes.
One of the former officials said that at this rate, Ukraine will not have a full squadron of trained pilots by the end of 2025.
