F-16s flew to Romania from the Netherlands to train Ukrainian pilots

At the European Training Center in Romania, Romanian and Ukrainian pilots will train on the most modern aircraft. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the flights will only be carried out in NATO airspace. The official opening of the training center will take place soon.

Five Dutch F-16 fighters fly to Romania. Romanian and Ukrainian pilots will train on the latest aircraft at the European Training Center. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands.

The flights will only be carried out in NATO airspace

Initially, the training center in Romania will use the fighters to train employed F-16 instructors. Then there will be pilot training. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the flights will only be carried out in NATO airspace, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said. The official opening of the training center will take place soon.

The training of Ukrainian pilots to operate the F-16 lasts from 5 to 9 months.

Ukrainian pilots started training on the F-16 in the USA

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink announced that Ukrainian pilots have begun flight training in F-16 fighters. Pilots are trained on Arizona Air National Guard combat aircraft. The training will last several months. The diplomat noted that this is an important element in the development of Ukraine's air defense.

Bridget Brink added that the United States is proud to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian aggressor, together with its European allies. The flight program takes into account the basic knowledge and skills of each pilot and is expected to last several months, said a representative of the US Air Force.

Ukrainian pilots are trained at Morris Air National Guard Base, which is located at Tucson International Airport. It is the only unit of the United States Air Force tasked with training foreign F-16 pilots as part of a daily mission.

F-16 fighters: what they are capable of

The F-16 (General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon) is an American fourth-generation fighter. Developed by General Dynamics for the US Air Force. Designed with air superiority in mind, it has evolved into a multi-role aircraft adapted to all weather conditions.

The plane is approximately 15 meters long and 5 meters high. The wingspan is almost 9.5 meters. The mass of the F-16 with two missiles on board is approximately 13 tons. In addition to rockets, it also has a six-barreled aircraft cannon.

It has a maximum speed of 2,178 km/h, a flight range of 4,220 km and a combat radius of 1,800 km. The F-16 can carry 7.7 tons of various types of weapons on 11 suspensions (two anti-aircraft missiles on the wingtips, six pylons under the wings and three under the fuselage).