Ukrainian pilots could begin training to fly U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets “within weeks or months,” Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Tuesday, a new step toward efforts to bolster the country’s long-term security as it fights to retake Russian-occupied territory in the east.
That training is slated to take place in Europe, outside of Ukraine, Ryder said. American and European officials are still hashing out the details of who would send those jets, instructors and other resources to support the monthslong process, he told reporters at a briefing.
Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s acting defense minister, also suggested Tuesday that training could begin in July, Politico reported. Denmark is spearheading the initiative alongside the U.S., United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands, with the support of other NATO members that fly the F-16, like Poland.
“My expectation is that by the end of June, we’ll have it officially set up, so we can hopefully start after that,” Poulsen told reporters in Brussels. “It’s probably an effort that will take up to six months before we have the facilities in place so that we can fly F-16 fighter jets from Ukraine.”