Six F-16 fighter jets could be delivered to Ukraine this summer – NYT

According to The New York Times, twelve pilots so far are expected to be ready to fly F-16s in combat by this summer after 10 months of training in Denmark, Britain and the United States.

However, according to the newspaper, by the time the pilots return to Ukraine, as few as six F-16s will have been delivered out of about 45 of the fighter jets that European allies have promised.

 “Nevertheless, their highly anticipated arrival over the battlefield will come not a moment too soon,” the report says.

It is noted that the F-16s would likely come armed with short- and medium-range missiles and bombs, partially making up for the shortage of ground-based munitions.

The reason for the delay in F-16 deliveries was the length of time it took to train Ukrainian pilots, who faced the need to learn English and Western military practices to make effective use of the F-16s. While the training of Ukrainian pilots is moving at lightning speed compared to normal F-16 training standards, it is slower than Ukraine and its allies had hoped.

The delay in the delivery of the aircraft was also due to Washington's position: President Joe Biden's administration stressed that F-16 fighters were unlikely to be a decisive factor in the war.

As Ukrinform reported, on 22 February, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine would have the right to attack military targets in Russia using F-16 fighter jets.