The first Ukrainian F-16 pilots are finally moving from training on flight simulators to real combat aircraft: report

A General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.

US Air Force

• The first Ukrainian F-16 pilots-in-training are in the process of moving from simulators to the real thing.
• Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat announced this on Sunday, per local media. 
• There's still a long path to getting the aircraft into Ukrainian skies in the war with Russia, however.

Ukraine's F-16 pilots are in the process of moving from using flight simulators to training in real combat aircraft — another development in allowing the US-made fighter jets to be used against Russia's air force.

"We anticipate that the initial cohort of F-16 pilots, currently undergoing training on flight simulators, will soon shift to the cockpits of training and combat aircraft," Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Sunday, according to the translation of The New Voice of Ukraine.

"We're currently in the process of transitioning to combat aircraft," he added, per the outlet. "Flights will be conducted with an instructor and will conclude with independent piloting after this training."

Ukrainian pilot training on the much-sought-after aircraft started in late August, Reuters reported. The process has seen pilots travel to countries such as the US and Denmark.

Ukraine's military has called out for F-16s since the earliest days of Russia's full-scale invasion — a call that was answered this summer.

The plane is no silver bullet in the conflict, but it's a notable improvement to Ukraine's stock of Soviet-era jets, as Insider's Chris Panella reported.

It has multiple potential uses, including defending against Russia's exploding drone barrages, bombarding Russian defensive positions on the front line, and — a more risky and therefore less likely scenario — dogfights with Russian planes, Insider's Jake Epstein reported. Much of its capabilities will depend on the weapons it's equipped with — and the effectiveness of the pilots flying it.

A group of Ukrainian pilots arrived in Tucson, Arizona last month, first to be tested for English-language ability and then to join the US Air Force's main training hub, Politico reported.

A recent video released by Ukraine's Air Force detailed how even those pilots who have stayed in Ukraine have begun studying flying F-16s in virtual-reality environments, in between combat missions.

But transferring the F-16 to Ukraine — estimated to happen in early 2024 — is far from the only step needed.

A coalition of 11 countries, spearheaded by the US, is providing the training on both flying and maintaining the support structure to get them in the air, according to Politico.

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