Ukrainian pilots have started F-16 training in Arizona with the Arizona Air National Guard, bringing Kyiv one step closer to acquiring the U.S.-made fighter jets that Ukraine says it needs to help defend its sovereign territory and citizens from Russian troops.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink announced the training on X, saying, “This is an essential part of building Ukraine’s air defense. The United States is proud to work with European partners to support Ukraine against Russia’s brutal aggression.”
A National Guard spokesperson told VOA on Thursday that the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard in Tucson began training a small number of Ukrainian pilots this week “in F-16 fundamentals,” with the training expected to last several months.
Usually, F-16 training courses last about eight months, according to the Pentagon.
The training at Morris Air National Guard Base follows English language training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas last month. English proficiency is required to fly F-16s.
During a news conference in Brussels earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the F-16 fighter jets could arrive in Ukraine next spring.
The vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General David Allvin, has said that the F-16 aircraft will be important for Ukraine in the long run, as the Ukrainian air force is able to fully integrate the new fighters into its military.
The news came as the United States announced that it was providing up to $150 million in additional military aid for Ukraine.
The package includes more GMLRS rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, munitions for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, TOW anti-tank missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and 155 mm rounds.
The availability of 155 mm rounds has raised concerns in recent days as U.S. partners Ukraine and Israel both need them to fight their wars - one against Russia’s invasion, the other against Palestinian militant group Hamas, which killed hundreds of Israelis and kidnapped more than 200 others in an attack on October 7.
Washington has said it is able to support Tel Aviv’s and Kyiv’s military needs.
