It may take several months for Ukraine to receive F-16 fighter jets, either from the US or from an ally.
This is reported by Military Times.
Note that the USA has not yet announced the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, the country supports the intention of other allies to deliver these planes to Kyiv.
In May, reports began to arrive that the Netherlands was considering giving Ukraine part of its F-16 fleet and wanted to start pilot training as soon as possible.
However, as State Department representative Stan Brown stated, the transfer of such aircraft to Ukraine should be a "holistic" approach, including pilot and technician training. One of the first steps in a potential F-16 transfer would be to license those pilots to train, before the transfer license even comes into existence.
Then the planes themselves need to be identified - whether they will be delivered through a third-party transfer or some other mechanism.
The State Department is already working on paperwork for third-party transfer requests coming from countries such as the Netherlands so that pilot training can begin. At the same time, Brown refused to name specific terms for completing the paperwork.
Fighters for Ukraine
About a month ago, allied countries intensified discussions on the transfer of F-16 aircraft and other fighters of a similar class to Ukraine. Denmark and the Netherlands have already announced their willingness to be leaders in this matter.
The partners note that the transfer of fighters will be possible only after training of pilots. At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that they have already begun.
At the same time, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, believes that the delivery of Western aircraft cannot be expected before the New Year.
