COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s authorities stated Monday that the coaching of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets has began and the retirement of Scandinavian nation’s fleet of ageing U.S. fighters has been moved up two years.
The substitute fighters, F-35s, will probably be operative by 2025, performing Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated. Initially, the swap was deliberate for 2027.
Lund Poulsen stated that NATO-member Denmark “has taken the step of beginning a coaching and additional schooling effort for the Ukrainian pilots.”
“We may even contemplate whether or not we must always make a concrete donation to Ukraine of the Danish F-16 fighters, and what number of there ought to be,” he stated.
Ukrainian pilots should spend six to eight months of coaching earlier than a potential donation of Danish F-16 plane can grow to be a actuality, Lund Poulsen instructed Danish broadcaster DR.
“This doesn’t imply that you just can not decide beforehand. However (the F-16 planes) will probably be in Denmark till 2024,” Lund Poulsen stated.
Denmark has ordered 27 F-35A fighter jets, which is able to exchange the greater than 40-year-old F-16s, of which Denmark has 30 operative planes. The swap to the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter jets is happening from late 2023 to the tip of 2025.
Ukraine has lengthy requested for Western fighter jets to assist it resist the full-scale Russian invasion, which started in February 2022. Initially reluctant, the U.S. and different NATO international locations not too long ago agreed to permit Ukrainian pilots to obtain coaching to on F-16 fighters, although none has but dedicated at hand over any planes.
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