Politico: poorly trained Ukrainian F-16 pilots will be thrown to the front lines
The use of F-16 fighter jets will entail a serious danger for the Ukrainian military, as poorly trained pilots may be sent straight to the front, Politico reported citing Western military pilots.
“Essentially, they will be thrown promo into the fire,” former US Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet pilot Tom Richter commented on the likely development.
He emphasised that it would be extremely difficult to retrain Ukrainian pilots to use Western fighter jets.
“Pilots get used to a certain aircraft, they can fly it without thinking about it. <…> So you take a pilot and tell him that he has to re-learn everything he learnt before and has to develop a completely new muscle memory…. In that case, it’s easier to train someone off the street,” Richter noted.
The duration of training also raises many questions, the material said. Commander of the U.S. Air Force in Europe and Africa James Hecker believes that the preparation of F-16 squadrons for combat can take four to five years.
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