Training of Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly F-16s will begin very soon, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra predicts. He doesn’t want to name a date or deadline yet, upon arriving for consultation with his EU colleagues in Brussels. Previous decisions on military support were also generally implemented “very quickly,” he recalls. However, the war will last a long time, thinks foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg. “The F-16s could be there in four to six months at the earliest.”
Last weekend, the United States, where the F-16s are manufactured, agreed to train F-16s for the Ukrainians. They have been asking for the most modern Western fighters for months so as not to lose the battle for airspace, but the United States did not like it until recently. Although some allies, including the Netherlands, have advocated starting with training.
Pilot training, according to the United States, takes place in Europe. However, Hoekstra does not want to say whether this will happen in our country. The Netherlands cooperates with, among others, Denmark, Norway and Belgium. Hoekstra says he doesn’t want to end this collaboration with premature announcements. He also leaves it open if F-16s or Dutch trainers are deployed.
Hoekstra will not “express in days, weeks or months” when the first Ukrainian pilots can start. “But it always happened that, after we came to a principled decision, we usually gave substance to the operational side very quickly.” This was the case previously with the delivery of, for example, heavy artillery such as armored howitzers. “And rightly so, because every day, every hour is one.”
‘Every day, every hour is one’
Whether Ukraine will eventually get the F-16s? Foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg thinks so. The big problem was Joe Biden’s resistance, but in the end, under pressure from the G7, he agreed to train pilots and technicians. Then you can’t go back.”
‘hooks and eyes’
According to Hammelburg there are “hooks and eyes”. ‘The question is, where do these devices come from? What type will it be? What are they equipped with? And do they come with or without weapons? We do not know.’
Ukraine will also need dozens, according to the foreign commentator. «Eight planes are already needed for a simple attack. So if they want to make multiple attacks at once, they need multiple of them. It is not yet clear whether this will happen.’
“Eight planes are already needed for a simple attack”
According to Hammelburg, the symbolism of these F-16s is “huge”. “Although a very ancient beast, it has become something of a symbol of Western perfection. It’s also a perfect device.’ But it’s not game changer‘, he thinks. “Whether or not they receive these planes will not determine whether the war ends in Ukraine’s favor.”
“The war is far from over”
Hammelburg doesn’t expect the war to be over any time soon. ‘Training an F-16 pilot who can already fly takes at least four months. You also have to train a huge swath of maintenance personnel and make sure there are enough spare parts because it’s a tricky technical beast. The devices can be there in four to six months at the earliest. Long after the anticipated spring offensive. This indicates that if they carry out this plan, the West will at least assume that the war will last a very long time.”
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
