It may be months or years before F-16s make difference on frontline – Danish Air Force

The commander of the Danish Air Force Jan Dam urged not to set too high expectations after the arrival of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine.

This is reported by TV2.

He noted that the fighters will have an impact, but will not change the rules of the game on the battlefield.

"There are very high expectations for these fighter planes. And we probably have to be more realistic there. The F-16s will certainly have an impact, but it won't be a game changer. Neither this month nor the coming months,” says Jan Dam.

He added that in order for the aircraft to become effective on the battlefield, long-term development of the Ukrainian Air Force, the right ammunition and adaptation to complex combat missions are needed.

"My recommendation to the Ukrainians is to become really good at using these planes before they carry out any risky missions. And I am talking to the head of the Ukrainian Air Force about that," the commander said.

He expects that the fighter jets will especially boost the morale of Ukrainians, and that the new pilots will have fundamental skills to conduct aerial combat and make missile attacks against the ground.

"But they will still need lots of training in Ukraine. And it can take months and years before they create a decisive operational effect," Jan Dam said.

According to the commander, the past year has been the busiest for many years at Skrydstrup Airport. It usually takes three to four years to become an F-16 pilot. For the Ukrainians, the training is compressed to six to eight months.

"Right now they are practicing night flying, even though we are in the middle of the shortest nights of the year. But we simply have to do that in order to get through the program," he said.

Recall that Denmark will stop training Ukrainian pilots after 2024.