F-16 Training for Ukrainian Pilots to Start in Romania Next Month

Ukrainian pilots will start training on how to fly U.S.-built F-16s from August in Romania.

The Netherlands and Denmark are leading an 11-nation coalition (Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Great Britain) to train the Ukrainians on F-16 operation. Ukrainian pilots, technicians, and support staff will take part in the training program.

The training was earlier seen as controversial but received the green light in May at the G7 summit in Japan.

On July 11, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced the Romania training program alongside his Dutch counterpart Kajsa Ollongren and Denmark’s acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

“F-16 will protect the sky of Ukraine and the eastern flank of NATO. The Ukrainian Air Force is ready to master them as soon as possible,” Poulsen told reporters. “Hopefully, we will be able to see results in the beginning of next year.”

Romania announced last week that it intended to set up an F-16 training center for military pilots from NATO partner states and Ukraine. An official statement from the government said the facility will aim to position the country as “a regional leader in the field of F-16 pilot training” and contribute to “improving cohesion, demonstrating unity and strengthening the deterrence and defense posture Euro-Atlantic”