Eight Ukrainian pilots have been selected to participate in the first run of training on the American-made F-16 fighter jet.
An unnamed US official who spoke to Western media detailed that eight pilots were selected because of their fluency in English, while another 20 pilots that speak some English were selected to be sent to the United Kingdom for language courses as soon as later this month.
An additional four pilots were also selected to be part of the program, for a total of 32, though their status and English-speaking ability were not clarified.
It is unknown when the training will start. According to reports, the US is waiting for a formal training plan to be presented by European allies, which the US will have to approve. Earlier this week it was reported that training equipment, including F-16 flight simulators and training manuals, still have to be transferred to Europe before training can begin.
Officials for US President Joe Biden earlier relayed to American media that they were hopeful the proposal from European countries will come in the next few weeks.
Eleven NATO countries have pledged to support the training, which is expected to primarily take place in Denmark and Romania. US officials have insisted the F-16 be only used in the defense of Ukraine and not be used to attack Russian targets outside of Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders. However, the Kiev regime has been increasing attacks inside Russia, including drone attacks inside Moscow.
In February, Biden remarked during an interview that Ukraine “doesn’t need F-16s now,” with a top Pentagon official, Colin Kahl, stating the following month that it would take two years to properly train and equip Ukrainian pilots.
An internal Air Force memo about a hypothetical training program created earlier this year said the expedited training schedule for Ukrainian pilots could be completed in four or five months.