Bisnis.comJAKARTA – An international coalition to train pilots Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets was formed, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on July 11.
At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Reznikov signed a memorandum outlining training conditions with the 11 coalition members.
These are Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
“I am very grateful to Denmark and the Netherlands for their excellent leadership in this process,” added the Minister of Defense.
According to Reznikov, Ukrainian pilots, technicians and support personnel will learn to operate and maintain F-16 jets and possibly other types of combat aircraft.
The program will start in Denmark as early as August, and a training center will also be set up in Romania, the allies announced at the summit, reports Reuters.
“We must defend our civilian population, our infrastructures, our critical objects, our schools, our universities. That is why for us it is very important that this coalition of fighter jets start,” Reznikov told reporters, as quoted by Reuters.
“I hope – I am optimistic – that after six months we will see results.”
In May, the allies agreed to form a coalition to help buy US-made F-16 jets for Ukraine and train Ukrainian fighter pilots.
Ukraine received Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland and Slovakia, but pressed for more advanced aircraft.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry previously said it needed at least 48 F-16 fighter jets to clear Russian territory.
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