French Air Force Accelerates Training of Ukrainian Pilots for F-16s and Mirage Jets

As of March, the French Air and Space Forces have been training Ukrainian pilots at a secure airbase in southwestern France, undisclosed for security reasons, as reported by Le Monde.

The program aims to prepare 26 Ukrainian military pilots to operate Western F-16 fighter jets within two years. The training officially commenced in March, with the first phase opening in mid-June, involving ten Ukrainian recruits aged 21 to 23.

Participants undergo an intensive curriculum that includes 80 hours of flight time on Alphajets and 50 hours on simulators with instructors. This streamlined program, originally slated for 18 months, has been condensed to six months to expedite combat readiness for Ukrainian pilots. France’s initiative also includes plans to train Ukrainian pilots on Mirage 2000-5 aircraft by the end of the year, as part of broader military support efforts amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Earlier, France committed to sending Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine and forming a “French brigade” for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, alongside permitting strikes on Russian military targets using transferred weaponry.