Despite high hopes, Ukraine will not receive US F-16 fighter jets this year: Air Force

Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, announced on Wednesday that despite having "high hopes" for American-made F-16 fighter jets to safeguard their airspace, Ukraine will not be receiving these aircraft during the upcoming fall or winter seasons.

"Unfortunately, it is already clear that we will not be able to protect Ukraine with F-16s throughout the fall and this winter," Sputnik quoted Ignat during a marathon of all-Ukrainian broadcasters. "There were high hopes for these aircraft, that these could really become part of the air defence."

Highlighting progress on the matter, the spokesperson said that Ukrainian pilots would soon undergo training to operate the aircraft. Additionally, Ignat stressed the importance of enhancing Ukraine's defensive capabilities against drone assaults. He expressed his belief that fortifying the country's air defenses is imperative.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov articulated the military's requirement for aircraft, with a preference for F-16 fighter jets, capable of functioning as integral components of their air defence system and possessing the ability to engage ground targets if the situation demands.

Ukrainian pilots' F-16 training off to a slow start

In mid-July, the White House officially affirmed its decision to enable European allies to commence the training of Ukrainian pilots for operating American-manufactured F-16 fighter jets. The White House also committed to equipping Ukrainians with the essential resources to initiate their training as soon as the European partners are ready.

While Ukraine has been eager to get started, a recent US report suggests that the initial batch of Ukrainian pilots undergoing training for these fighter jets might not be sufficiently prepared to operate them until the upcoming summer next year.

As per senior officials from the Ukrainian government and military who were quoted, a small initial group of merely six pilots will undertake the inaugural phase of instruction, with an additional two pilots designated as backup candidates. However, these initial pilots undergoing training are not anticipated to complete their training in the near future, as sources revealed to Sputnik. Allegedly, the officials expressed their dissatisfaction with delays from their Western supporters in executing the training program.