US Ambassador confirms beginning of training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 in Arizona

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink reported that Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in Arizona.

She wrote about it on X (Twitter).

"Ukrainian pilots are currently training on F-16 aircraft of the Arizona Air National Guard. This is an important part of the development of Ukraine's air defense. The United States is proud that, together with its European partners, it supports Ukraine in its defense against russia's brutal aggression," the statement said.

It will be recalled that before this the Air & Space Forces publication reported with reference to a representative of the US Air Force that the US had begun training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. In particular, according to him, at the beginning of this week, a "small number" of Ukrainian pilots began training in the 162nd Aviation Unit of the Arizona National Guard on "the basics of the F-16."

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Politico also reported on October 13, citing four officials, that Ukrainian pilots will begin mastering the F-16 next week at the Air Force Base of the US National Guard.

Before that, the Air Force reported that Ukrainian pilots are already practicing on aviation simulators as part of training on F-16 fighters. The next stage is flying with an instructor in real aircraft.