Ukraine plans to start using F-16 in summer, they will protect Kharkiv - Guardian
Western F-16 fighter jets, which will be provided to Ukraine, will be used in the summer.
This is stated in the article by The Guardian, Censor.NET reports.
The commander of the Dutch Air Force, General Arnoux Stallmann, said: "Around this summer, everything will be lined up."
According to him, the process of training pilots and ground staff was not easy.
"It's not just the pilots who need training, the technicians and maintenance staff also need thorough instruction. We provide comprehensive support training so that they can effectively maintain the aircraft. Therefore, everything has to coincide," he explained.
Dutch Defence Minister Keesa Ollongren also said that the first deliveries of the aircraft to Ukraine should take place this summer.
"The F-16 is indeed much more sophisticated than the systems used by the Ukrainian Air Force until now... You can't just jump through a few stages, you have to go through every stage of the process, but we also want to deliver them as soon as possible," the minister added.
The publication notes that the F-16s will help Ukraine defend Kharkiv from the KABs that Russians launch from a distance of 50-70 km.
