Amid growing rumors in recent days—primarily sparked by a report published by French media—the Ukrainian Air Force has denied that its F-16 fighters are being flown by pilots from the United States and the Netherlands in the conflict against Russia. The clarification was delivered by Yuriy Ignat, head of communications for the Ukrainian Air Force, during a recent televised interview in the country.
According to Ignat, the report came as a surprise earlier this week. Although it was known to be false, he stated that the decision was made to allow the rumor to continue circulating across various media outlets in order to assess its potential impact on Russian operational planning. He also emphasized that the episode highlighted the strong performance of Ukrainian pilots operating the F-16, despite their comparatively shorter experience with the platform compared to their Western counterparts.
In his words: “Our pilots are showing results that truly surprise foreigners: how skillfully and effectively the types of aircraft supplied to us by friendly countries can be used. Today we operate in an environment saturated with Russian air defenses. The situation in which a pilot completes a mission and six Russian missiles immediately pursue him from behind is the reality in which our Ukrainian pilots operate.” In a later segment, he added that claims suggesting the personnel were experienced pilots who had flown missions over Afghanistan were false, arguing that effective performance in the current war requires entirely different approaches.
It should be noted that the original report that triggered the speculation was published by the outlet Intelligence Online, which did not disclose the source of its information. According to the French publication, the Ukrainian Air Force had formed at least one squadron in recent weeks incorporating American and Dutch pilots under six-month contracts that would allow for pilot rotation. The report further claimed that these personnel had already participated in various operations, primarily involving the interception of Russian drones and missiles, including night missions.
For the time being, it is worth recalling that the Ukrainian Air Force is expecting to complete a fleet of more than 80 F-16 fighters transferred by its European allies, while also advancing pilot training to operate the Swedish-developed Gripen E/F fighter produced by Saab, with plans to acquire approximately 150 units. In detail, Ukraine has reportedly received around 30 F-16s so far, the majority being the 24 pledged by the Netherlands. In terms of losses, approximately four aircraft are believed to have been lost to date. The exact number of available pilots remains undisclosed; however, given the requirement of at least six months of training before flying the F-16, it is reasonable to assume that the pool of qualified personnel remains limited.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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