“The Pentagon plans to begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in the United States as early as September, a U.S. official said on Thursday.
Defense Department officials said last week that Ukrainian pilots would be trained in the United States if European nations, led by the Netherlands and Denmark, which are leading a coalition to train dozens of pilots, reached capacity. But the approach is now changing to also bring Ukrainian pilots for training in the United States as soon as Ukraine identifies them…
Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, predicted earlier this week that it would take six to seven months before F-16s were sent to Ukraine, following training for the country’s pilots and necessary support staff. That means the planes will not play a role in Ukraine’s current counteroffensive.”