DOD: Ukrainian F-16 Pilots on Track with Training in Arizona

The small number of pilots training at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson will graduate this year, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, January 05, 2024 at 05:17 PM ET

Verified

Norwegian F-16s have landed in Denmark, ready to train Ukrainian pilots. [Courtesy: Royal Norwegian Armed Forces]

Key Takeaways:

Ukrainian pilots undergoing F-16 flight training in the U.S. are expected to graduate in the coming months, with training lasting five to eight months.
F-16 training opportunities for Ukrainian pilots are expanding in Europe, including Norway sending jets and instructors to Denmark.
A European F-16 Training Center, supported by Dutch F-16s, has opened in Romania to train pilots from both Romania and Ukraine.
The transition to F-16s for Ukrainian pilots, who previously operated Soviet-era aircraft, is recognized as a long-term effort to meet Western standards.

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Ukrainian pilots undergoing F-16 flight training in the U.S. are expected to graduate in the coming months, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

A small number of Ukrainian fighter pilots began to train in F-16 fundamentals with the 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard (ANG) at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson in October. Called the “face of the USAF to the world,” the ANG wing has trained pilots from 25 countries to fly the F-16.