A group of House Democrats is calling on the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. This was reported by Politico, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that US lawmakers led by Congressman Adam Schiff (California) support Ukraine's request to train 10 more F-16 pilots this year. They have asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to do so.
In their letter, obtained by POLITICO, the lawmakers emphasized that the request came at a critical time in Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, where the deployment of F-16s could potentially significantly affect the outcome of the war.
The Democrats noted that by the end of the year, Ukraine will have more F-16s than qualified pilots to fly them, a situation that threatens to undermine the strategic advantages these aircraft can provide Ukraine.
Addendum
The publication reminded that last year, President Joe Biden approved the transfer of aircraft from Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands to Ukraine, but the training of pilots faced logistical problems.
Ukraine claimed that it has 30 pilots eligible to begin training in the United States immediately, and that the Biden administration has informed Ukraine that it does not have enough training spots in its Arizona-based program to accept more than 12 pilots at a time.