Ukrainian Air Force pilots can complete F-16 training much faster than previously thought. Two pilots were tested in an F-16 simulator earlier this year.

Here’s What We Know

Yahoo News has obtained documents stating that according to an internal US Air Force estimate, Ukrainian pilots will take just four months to train on the F-16. Previously, the process was thought to take a year and a half.

Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-27 pilots were tested on the F-16 simulator in February and March 2023 at Morris Air Force Base in Arizona, where the 162nd Wing of the US Air Force is stationed. The documents state that the pilots had no training on the F-16, apart from a brief introduction to the aircraft. They then underwent nine simulator tests for a total of 11.5 hours.

The Ukrainian Air Force pilots were assessed by four experienced US Air Force instructors. Each of them had thousands of hours of flight time on the fourth generation F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft.

The Ukrainian pilots were able to perform a number of complex manoeuvres, including landing after an engine failure due to an accident. Lieutenant Colonel Jared P. White of the 162nd Wing wrote about this. According to him, pilots have to train this s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 throughout their career. In addition, the Ukrainian pilots were able to perform simulated attacks based on the data obtained during the flight.

A problem during the evaluation was the unfamiliarity of the avionics of the US aircraft to Ukrainian pilots. The interface displays information in English. However, the documents noted that after two weeks the Ukrainian pilots had improved their knowledge of English. In addition, they were not familiar with flying standard American aircraft groups, as they were trained under a Soviet programme.

Despite all problems the American experts conclude that four months is a realistic period to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 Fighting Falcon.