U.S. to Lead Coalition to Train Ukraine F-16 Pilots

Denmark and the Netherlands will also instruct fighter pilots, American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced while attending a NATO defense ministers summit in Brussels.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 05:51 PM ET

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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. [Credit: DOD]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. will lead a new coalition, joined by Denmark and the Netherlands, to train Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots and maintainers.
This initiative aims to develop Ukraine's air force capabilities, addressing their long-standing request for F-16 aircraft following Russia's invasion.
Ukrainian pilots are scheduled to begin flight training in Arizona and are also utilizing virtual reality flight simulators.

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The U.S. will lead a new coalition to develop Ukraine’s air force by training F-16 fighter pilots, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Wednesday while attending a NATO defense ministers summit in Brussels.

Denmark and the Netherlands will also join the Americans in training F-16 pilots and maintainers, Austin said. The two countries, along with Norway, have pledged to donate F-16s to Ukraine, which has long sought access to the aircraft following Russia’s invasion in 2022.