Ukraine Reveals Timeframe for F-16s' Arrival to the Front

Ukraine has said its pilots are already training with Western instructors on F-16s and that the aircraft which Kyiv has long called for to fight Russian aggression could be used in battle later this year.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told nation television that Kyiv's allies are "training our pilots very, very confidentially."

"The process is underway, pilots are already flying in the sky with instructors," he said on Monday, in part of a "clear plan of action by partners within the framework of our aviation coalition."

It follows comments last week by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to local television that the F-16s will be in use later this year and the preparation for the first air strike by the aircraft in Ukrainian airspace "is proceeding as planned."

"Pilots, engineers, and infrastructure are being prepared," he added.

In August 2023, Washington finally authorized allies to give Kyiv the U.S.-made planes, whose more modern avionics and radars are an upgrade a Ukraine's Air Force that has previously relied on Soviet-era MiG and Sukhoi jets.

A group of 14 countries has pledged to deliver the aircraft and help with training but there has been uncertainty around when they would arrive and be used in the war.

Denmark said it would donate 19 F-16s to Ukraine, 14 of which were scheduled to arrive this year and the remaining five scheduled for 2025. But as Newsweek previously reported this month, the Danish Defense Ministry confirmed the first shipment of six F16s was expected during the second quarter of 2024— a six-month delay from what was initially expected.

Belgium and Norway have also agreed to provide Ukraine with dozens of F-16s for combat, while the Netherlands will be the largest donor, contributing 42 jets.

Ihnat did not give details on the Ukrainian pilot training but in December, the U.K. Defense Ministry said the first batch of Ukrainian pilots had been given basic training before moving on to Denmark.

In October, Ihnat had said that the first F-16 fighters may appear in Ukraine by spring 2024 and that about 150 of the aircraft would be enough to protect the country's airspace.

Ihnat had previously said that six advanced pilots were flying F-16s in Denmark and should be ready in the spring. The least experienced group is training in the U.K. and may not be ready until 2025. An intermediate group training in Arizona is expected to graduate later this year, according to a U.S. State Department briefing.

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment.

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