Ukrainian pilots have begun training on F-16 fighters, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said in an interview with Ukrainian media on Saturday, CNN reports.

“(F-16) training has begun,” Reznikov said, adding that a number of Ukrainian engineers and technicians are also training with the pilots.

Reznikov said that he would not say how long the training would last, but clarified that “the minimum training period is six months.”

According to Reznikov, the instructors will announce the completion of training when they see that Ukrainian pilots, engineers and technicians are acquiring new skills.

English courses for technical concepts

Students will also take classes in English technical terminology because “a basic level of English is not enough,” he said.

At the same time, the preparatory period will be used to determine which country will supply aircraft to Ukraine and in what quantity.

Reznikov said it is also important to determine what weapons the F-16s will carry.

“After all, without radars, the plane cannot see, and without machine guns, rockets and shells, it is not a weapon, but only a carrier,” he noted.

The F-16 training program is supported by a coalition of 11 NATO countries, which also includes Romania, and requires official US approval because the aircraft are American-made.

The United States has approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russian invaders as soon as pilot training is completed, a US official said on Thursday, according to Reuters. (news.ro)