UpdateThe Netherlands is working with Denmark and the United States to start F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots this summer. That is what Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren (D66) says after a meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. These are countries that support Ukraine with, among other things, military equipment.
Liberal Ollongren is happy with the support for training Ukrainians, she says on Twitter. The Netherlands will lead these training sessions together with Denmark. There has long been talk of an F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots. The precise implementation of this is still being discussed in the contact group. Ollongren’s American colleague Lloyd Austin said that earlier.
In the beginning, no more than a few dozen Ukrainian pilots will be trained, says General of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Onno Eichelsheim on Thursday evening at the talk show ‘Op1’ of the Dutch public broadcaster. Then it gradually becomes more.
First in Denmark
It is not yet clear when the training sessions will start exactly, according to the general. “Because there are still so many moving parts before you can take this step.” For example, much still needs to be coordinated with allies and support from the industry is needed.
“For now, Denmark is the first place,” says Eichelsheim about the location where the F-16 pilots will be trained. He does not know whether that will also happen in the Netherlands.
A spokesperson for Ollongren says that the agreements have not yet been finalized. Even the decision to start the training sessions would not be final yet, although that is emphatically the intention.
Breakthrough
An important breakthrough was achieved this week, when the United States granted permission for the training sessions. This decision does not mean that aircraft will also be delivered, the countries involved always emphasize. No decision had yet been taken on that. The top general in the US armed forces, Mark Milley, says that the F-16s will not be a “magic weapon” in Ukraine’s fight against the Russian occupier.
The US has urged Ukraine not to use US weaponry to attack Russia, Milley says. However, according to him, it cannot be ruled out that this happened. Russia claims that pro-Ukrainian militias have used US armored vehicles for attacks on Russian soil.
General Eichelsheim says he cannot imagine Ukraine deploying the F-16 – if delivered – in Russia. “Because Ukraine is not crazy.”
LOOK. Belgium will train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.