Denmark halts training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 combat aircraft.
According to the Danish Defense Minister, the education program for Ukrainian fighter jet pilots on F-16s is set to end by the year's close. This was foreshadowed by the switch to a new aircraft model, but it symbolizes the numerous hurdles for the western initiative.
Denmark will cease its training program for Ukrainian F-16 pilots due to its own transition to F-35 aircraft by the end of the year. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen allegedly confirmed this at a press conference, stating, "We will shift to the F-35, so we must concentrate our efforts on that and cannot continue training Ukrainian pilots after 2024."
The western F-16 alliance needs to find new locations for their activities, said Poulsen. Other training programs exist in Romania and the US, but recent unfavorable reports have come from both countries.
At the beginning of the month, "Politico" reported that Ukraine has over 30 pilots ready to start training in the United States immediately. However, Kiev was informed that the training program in Arizona doesn't have enough slots to accommodate more than a dozen applicants at a time. The Americans apparently train pilots at several bases but have prioritized their commitments to other countries when it comes to training.
Denmark has promised to deliver 19 combat jets to Ukraine. After the completion of the pilot training program, roughly 20 Ukrainian pilots are expected to have been trained, as per Troels Lund Poulsen. It's yet to be determined how many F-16 combat jets Ukraine will secure this year.
Ukraine has commitments for at least 24 jets from the Netherlands, as well as jets from Norway and Belgium. However, the availability of pilots is up in the air. A former US Defense Department employee told "Politico" that it's anticipated that only around 20 Ukrainian F-16 pilots will complete their training by the end of this year.
The first group of Ukrainian F-16 pilots recently finished their training in the US and are expected to be combat-ready against Russian air forces this summer. However, it's likely that these pilots will be gradually introduced to combat.
The training for novice western pilots can be lengthy and pricey. If there isn't enough training capacity to educate numerous pilots in the future, the F-16 initiative may lose significant traction. At most, Ukraine can hope for around 100 modern combat aircraft in the coming years.
Another positive development for Ukraine emerged a few weeks ago when French President Macron startled Kiev with the news that Mirage-2000-5 combat aircraft would be handed over to Kiev this year, along with a rapid training program for pilots.
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Despite Denmark halting its F-16 pilot training program for Ukraine due to its own F-35 transition, Denmark has pledged to deliver 19 combat jets to Ukraine. The delivery of these jets will be crucial for Ukraine, as they are expected to have around 20 trained F-16 pilots by the end of the year, thanks to previous training opportunities.
In light of Denmark's decision to halt arms delivery and training, Ukraine may need to turn to other allies, such as France, who have recently announced plans to provide Mirage-2000-5 combat aircraft and a rapid training program for pilots.
