The first cohort of Ukrainian pilots to receive training from the Royal Air Force are now learning to fly F-16 fighter jets in Denmark, having completed a basic programme of training in the UK.
The RAF began delivering flying and English language training in August as part of the UK contribution to the international Air Force Capability Coalition for Ukraine, which sees allies and partners working together to bolster Ukraine’s air capabilities.
The group was formed of six experienced Ukrainian combat fighter pilots who received aviation-specific English language training to increase their ability to engage with coalition training and support.
A further ten Ukrainian trainee pilots took part in the language training and remain in the UK to continue with practical basic flight training, as well as to learn important skills such as aviation medicine and centrifuge training.
Flying actually requires a lot of training because if the person flying dies all that training was for nothing and an expensive jet is lost to boot.
It’s one of those professions where it’s just not financially feasible to half ass it (for the ones funding)
I’m not with that person, but I’m surprised ‘learning English’ was repeated by a journo a couple of times with Ukraine probably having lots of speakers due to long eurointegration talks, many of them working in EU or online. That’s a specific field, and you need a close to zero response time like a native, but yet, it’s put on the same level as training them as military pilots and it indeed sounded off. It makes me think they didn’t have many info on interesting specifics of how these pilots learnt in a flight school and tried to fill a word counter, or had a hangover, or were an AI.
The trainees were already experienced pilots in Ukrainian aircraft though, they couldn’t just pick from a giant pool of people that already knew English
As of 2 days ago (at least when it became publicly known), there are f16s being flown by Ukrainians in Ukraine. So clearly other groups could train faster
Edit: adding more info below
A Danish military analyst who works for their military and specialists in the Ukraine war hypotheses that f16s is the most likely reason for the multiple Russian fighter planes shot down in recent days
https://youtu.be/-NdIoseN6HM?si=__O7Et_i6pu9MXkK
And Ukraine war update channels are starting to share the news
https://youtu.be/M_uhfHnuKgw?si=Xy4_s0FWKk_AGMb6
Also ISW published this 2 weeks ago:
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-9-2023
And Newsweek reported weeks ago that the first batch of 5 f16s from the Netherlands had already arrived at the training centre in Romania, and that the f16s from Belgium would arrive in Ukraine in march or April
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-receives-major-update-f-16s-1841683
The Netherlands it seems has fast tracked the process, to make sure the f16s are delivered before the new far right leader gets into power after winning the recent Dutch election
Is the source for this www.pulledoutofyourass.com or?
No, a Danish military analyst who works for their military and specialists in the Ukraine war hypotheses that f16s is the most likely reason for the multiple Russian fighter planes shot down in recent days
https://youtu.be/-NdIoseN6HM?si=__O7Et_i6pu9MXkK
And Ukraine war update channels are starting to share the news
https://youtu.be/M_uhfHnuKgw?si=Xy4_s0FWKk_AGMb6
Also ISW published this 2 weeks ago:
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-9-2023
And Newsweek reported weeks ago that the first batch of 5 f16s from the Netherlands had already arrived at the training centre in Romania, and that the f16s from Belgium would arrive in Ukraine in march or April
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-receives-major-update-f-16s-1841683
The Netherlands it seems has fast tracked the process, to make sure the f16s are delivered before the new far right leader gets into power after winning the recent Dutch election
So no official statements or evidence yet (there’d likely be civilian footage even), just youtuber speculation.
Why would there be an official statement immediately when they receive them? They’d remove the chance for catching russian planes by surprise.
And you say “YouTuber speculation”, do you mean to say “Advisor to the Danish military speculates” … Which is a very different thing
I’ll clarify, I’m not saying it’s impossible that F16 are already shooting shit down there these past days. The storm shadow was also officially announced practically at the same time it already was pulverising vatniks. I’m just saying there’s no solid proof yet that this is the case. Yes, the Danish advisor is still currently speculating even if he turns out to be correct.
Okay fair, then we’re in agreeance
Newsweek now is referencing an anonymous US military source that Ukraine “likely” already has received f-16s
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-russia-fighter-jets-crimea-su34-1855709
Think it’s safe to assume at this point that they’re not there yet, unfortunately.