On September 20, the French Armed Forces reported the completion of training for the first group of Ukrainian pilots using Alphajet aircraft, a precursor to training on F-16s donated by Western allies. This group consists of 10 pilots aged between 21 and 23, who have been stationed in southern France for approximately six months.
So far, this has been the second stage in the training process for these pilots, considering they previously completed over 70 hours of flight training in the United Kingdom using GROB-115 basic training aircraft. In France, the Ukrainian pilots gained even more experience, logging over 80 hours of flight time on the Alphajet, complemented by an additional 60 hours in a simulator. The next step, using the F-16s, will take place in Romania, where they will fly for another 60 hours.
It’s important to note that training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16s has been one of the major obstacles to accelerating the delivery of these aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force, with more than 70 planes committed from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway, among others. In this regard, the French government has committed to facilitating the training of up to 26 pilots, a significantly high pace considering it nearly doubles the number of pilots trained by the French Air Force in a year.
Finally, regarding the upcoming training phase in Romania, it should be mentioned that another cohort of Ukrainian pilots is currently at Fetesti Air Base engaged in various training activities alongside NATO pilots. Previously, this final phase was conducted at Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark until June when it was deactivated for those functions. This was made possible by the arrival of 14 fighter jets donated by the Netherlands to Romania, thereby increasing the availability of aircraft provided by the host country.
In the context of the arrival of that first cohort of Ukrainian personnel in Romania, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated: “Another great step is that the first Ukrainian pilots have begun their training. They will lay a solid foundation at the European F-16 training center so they can defend their country against the incessant Russian attacks with fighter jets. We remain committed to strengthening Ukraine’s air defense alongside our allies. This is urgently needed.”
Image credits: @EtatMajorFR on X
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