Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the agency had no additional data on the program. Last week, Politico wrote that the first group of Ukrainian pilots who will participate in F-16 training have already been determined.
Training could not begin without US permission, as F-16s are American aircraft. However, approval from America was delayed because, as of August 1, the US was still waiting for a final training plan from its European allies, which America had to approve before the exercises could begin.
The Air Force of Ukraine said that pilots would need up to six months to master the fighters, as they must to learn to fly the fighter as well as learn how to use the dozens of available weapons.
A coalition of 11 NATO countries supports the training program. Pilots and technical personnel will both be trained through the coalition’s program. The course will be held in Denmark and Netherlands, but details of the program are still being worked out.