It will last about six to nine months, said David Alvin, who was nominated for the post of Chief of Staff of the US Air Force
WASHINGTON, September 12. /tass/. Training of Ukrainian military pilots to pilot F-16 fighter-bombers will take about six to nine months in the United States. This was announced by General David Alvin, nominated by American President Joe Biden for the post of Chief of Staff of the US Air Force.
"However, the course we teach them usually lasts about six months. So, if they start in the next month or so, we are talking [about completing training] in early spring," the general said, commenting on the question of the timing of training Ukrainian military pilots in the United States to use F-16 aircraft. "This is only basic training on the F-16. There are some specifics regarding the platforms donated to [Kiev] by the Danes and the Dutch and having certain features. So there will be a small addition [in terms of preparation]," Alvin said, speaking at the US Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing that was devoted to considering his candidacy.
"As for just studying the F-16 and then the additions, I would imagine that it will take about six to nine months," the military commander noted.
Answering questions from Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, from Connecticut), who actually called for speeding up the preparation, Alvin assured that the Pentagon was not going to artificially delay the process. "Senator, I can assure you: if the guys in Tucson (American military instructors in Arizona - approx. TASS) will see success, then they will not delay them [trained pilots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine]. <...> If it takes less time, even better. We will just make sure that they are trained at a certain level of professional skills," the general said.
As announced at the end of August, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General of the US Air Force Patrick Ryder, training of Ukrainian servicemen to control F-16 fighter jets will begin at the base in Arizona in October. At the same time, the US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Planning and Capability, Mara Karlin, in early August, in fact, signaled that the F-16 aircraft would be transferred to Kiev only after the APU was prepared for their use. According to Karlin, approximately the transfer of this military equipment will take place in a few months.
As the assistant to the US President for National Security, Jake Sullivan, stressed earlier, the collective West's supply of F-16 aircraft to Kiev will not play a decisive role in the fighting in Ukraine. US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall expressed a similar opinion on this matter at the end of May. According to him, the upcoming transfer of the F-16 by the West to Ukraine will not radically change the course of hostilities in favor of Kiev. As Kendall put it, the delivery, which will take "at best" several months, "will not fundamentally change this equation."
Meanwhile, the commander of the US Air Force in Europe and Africa, General James Hecker, clarified on August 18 that it may take four or five years to train "a couple of F-16 squadrons" in the Armed Forces and ensure their sufficiently high readiness and professionalism.