Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the commander of NATO's joint forces in Europe, cited difficulties in training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16. The US general also emphasized the importance of fighter jets for Ukraine.
As Cavoli noted, it wasn't easy for the Ukrainian pilots Switch from Soviet-style aircraft to fourth-generation fighters.
“It is very difficult to transition from an old Soviet-era aircraft that the Ukrainians flew, that they maintained and maintained, to a modern fourth-generation aircraft like the F-16. We are doing it together with them and the whole alliance of countries is working. After all, it will be the most valuable thing for themCavoli told a congressional hearing.
One of the biggest difficulties was training the Ukrainians on the F-16 Kavoli Knowledge of English.
“If all manuals, all instructions and all buttons are in English, you should at least know enough English to do it. By the way, it is the international language of airplanes. Therefore, it is necessary to have a certain level of language proficiency. This is the first step“, he added.
According to the American general, another problem is related Inadequate basic training Among some Ukrainian pilots. In this case, they must first overcome it, and then master the F-16.
Cavoli also insisted on Ukraine Not enough military pilots.
“The availability of Ukrainian pilots is a limiting factor in the number we are currently training. The Ukrainians have carefully calculated how many pilots they can deploy while maintaining an appropriate level of combat activity inside Ukraine. That determines the actual amount of training or the number of pilots in the pilot.”– Added commander of NATO forces in Europe.
What do you know about F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine?
20 August last year in the Netherlands and Denmark An agreement was reached on the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine after the training of Ukrainian pilots.
At the end of September, Airmen The force has already released a video showing how pilots adapt to the F-16 in Ukraine. They master the controls of American F-16 fighter jets with the help of flight simulator.
According to the US Air Force, in late October, a “small number” of Ukrainian pilots began training with the Arizona National Guard's 162nd Airlift Wing. “F-16 Basics”.
And in November, the first F-16 Training pilots from Ukraine, who were previously sent to the Netherlands, have already arrived at the training center in Romania.
In turn, at the end of March, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that according to previously established plans and schedules, Ukraine should receive Western F-16 fighter jets.
Ukrainian pilots trained in F-16 fighter jets in Denmark and the United States are already practicing the tasks they face in Ukraine, in particular – attacks on Shaheds and rockets.
