The White House has banned Ukrainian pilots from learning to fly F-16 fighter jets manufactured by the American military corporation Lockheed Martin, owned by European countries. The New York Times writes about this, citing a high-ranking Ukrainian official who wished to remain anonymous.
On May 16, Great Britain and the Netherlands announced the creation of an international coalition for the purchase and supply of F-16s to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian pilots. Poland and Belgium also expressed their willingness to help with pilot training. However, none of these countries can transfer American-made fighter jets to Ukraine without US permission. Without the approval of the White House, they also cannot train Ukrainian pilots. As a source told the NYT, it can probably be limited to familiarity with the technical language and tactical lessons. Test flights on the F-16 for Ukrainian pilots are not yet available.
A NYT source in the Joe Biden administration said that the United States does not want to send its fighter jets to Ukraine, as it is too expensive and too long. According to him, even if the delivery of F-16s is approved, the planes will reach Ukraine only a few months after the start of the counteroffensive. The United States intends to focus on the supply of other weapons that Ukraine also needs. The White House is also considering the option of issuing licenses to European countries for the re-export of F-16s.
Kiev has previously stated that it needs about 180 fighters to confront Russia in the air, but at this stage, 24-36 is enough. Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands are ready to provide Ukraine with at least 125 F-16s ready for operation. Norway is also ready to provide its decommissioned fighter jets.
