Ukraine says pilots will need six months for F-16 combat training
Kyiv27 january (Reuters) – Ukraine said on Friday Kyiv to its pilots for stepping up its campaign to ensure the safety of fourth-generation fighter jets USAIt will take about half a year to train to fight in Western fighter jets like the F-16s of the US. After the invasion of Russia last February.
Ukraine this week Germany and USAIt got a big boost when it announced plans to supply heavy tanks to Kiev, now it hopes the West will also provide long-range missiles and fighter jets.
of the West military support Kyiv is vital for and rapidly developing. Before the invasion, the idea of even delivering lethal aid to Ukraine was highly controversial, but Western supplies have since shattered taboo after taboo.
Military Weather Yuri Ihnat, the spokesman of the forces, said that the F-16s are modern of Ukraine the country’s current fleet of fighter jets, which is older than itself substitute may be the best option for multi-purpose fighters to do. He said that Kyiv uses 4 types of aircraft from the Soviet era.
“Pilots say flying the F-16 is no problem, they can learn it in a matter of weeks. Fighting with these planes and using all kinds of weapons is a very different thing,” Ihnat said in a press briefing.
“Pilots say they will master it in about half a year.
Ukraine uses it to intercept warplanes and attack Russian positions.
USAof the White House national Deputy National Security Adviser John Finer told MSNBC on Thursday that the United States will “very carefully” discuss the idea of supplying fighter jets with Kyiv and its allies.
Ihnat said that in addition to pilots, aviation engineers and other specialists will also need training. According to him, Ukraine has already started work on the creation of airfield infrastructure for Western aircraft in various regions.
National The Secretary of the Defense and Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, posted a video of the takeoff of a Western fighter jet on Twitter and wrote “Soon in Ukraine.”
Report by Olena Harmash; Edited by Tom Balmforth and Hugh Lawson
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2023-01-27 22:06:31
Source – reuters
Translation“24 HOURS”