By Ronald J. Hansen | Arizona Republic
Ukrainian combat pilots and their support staff will learn to fly F-16 fighter jets in Tucson beginning in October, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
The training will take place at the Morris Air National Guard Base after the pilots and staffers complete English training in Texas. The base’s website describes its operations as “home to the Air National Guard’s premier F-16 fighter pilot training unit, the 162nd Wing.”
Danish and Dutch forces are providing Ukraine with F-16 jets in Europe, and the U.S. will train the pilots in Arizona. The presence of Ukrainian troops on American soil is another milestone for the U.S. in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder outlined the plans during a meeting with reporters in Washington on Thursday.
“We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that those pilots have the training and the knowledge necessary to be able to effectively employ this very sophisticated combat weapon,” Ryder said. “That’s our part, and we’ll work with our allies in Europe to ensure they have that training so that when they do go into combat, they’re prepared to do it.”
