Ukraine is actively looking for willing retired pilots from NATO nations capable of operating its newly acquired F-16 fighter jets.
The need for recruitment is to address Ukraine’s shortage of trained pilots capable of flying F-16 fighter jets. According to US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham, Ukraine is looking for ways to strengthen its air capabilities.
“President Zelensky told us both that he would be looking to supplement his Air Force by establishing a program to enlist retired NATO F-16 fighter pilots,” Blumenthal and Graham said in a joint statement after meeting with the Ukrainian President. “We support this effort. Ukraine is already fielding units of freedom fighters on the ground, and this volunteer force should be replicated in the air.”
Around 20 Ukrainian airmen are expected to be ready to fly F-16 fighter jets in 2024. They are currently being trained by various Western air forces. The ratio within a fighter squadron is 1.5 pilots per one aircraft on average within the United States Air Force. Based on this proportion, the Ukrainian Air Force would be able to field around 13 F-16 fighters by 2025.
On August 4, 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country has received the first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets, which Kyiv hopes will help defend against Russian forces. Citing a source close to the matter, The Times said that the Netherlands had supplied six jets to Ukraine so far.
However, Ukraine plans to “not use [the F-16] too close to the Russians” due to the threat of air defenses, a Ukrainian official told the Washington Post on July 28, 2024.
Storage of the F-16 fighters in Ukraine is also being challenged, with the Russian Air Force intensifying bombing raids on Ukrainian air bases.