More F-16s Headed to Ukraine as Pilots Near Combat Readiness, Says US General

Additional F-16 fighter jets are set to be deployed in Ukraine as Ukrainian pilots continue their training, according to General Christopher Cavoli, commander of US European Command, during a hearing on April 3, with the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

Cavoli explained that more F-16s are prepared for deployment in Ukraine, though he could provide specific numbers only in a closed meeting.

The Ukrainian military currently operates a number of F-16s, which are actively used in daily operations. Since the F-16 is a US-made aircraft, the US plays a role in the overall process, including authorizing and facilitating the transfer of these aircraft.

“Status of the F-16s that we’ve sent is not not classified because Russia obviously knows what’s happened to them. There are a number of F-16s in there. There are a number of pilots in there. There are more F-16s prepared to be deployed in there and more pilots in the training pipelines. (…) They are active. The planes are active and they fly every day.” said General Cavoli.

Cavoli highlighted that these jets have successfully intercepted numerous Russian cruise missile threats and conducted numerous offensive bombing missions.

While none of the F-16s in use have come from the US, Cavoli noted that the jets have mainly been provided by Northern European countries, including the Netherlands and Denmark.

Ukrinform, reported that an interview with a Ukrainian F-16 pilot revealed that over 80% of the missiles fired by the aircraft hit their targets.

In related news, Royal Danish Air Force F-35A fighter jets intercepted and shadowed a Russian Il-20 Coot-A reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea last week, this mission marked the first operational use of Denmark’s newly mission-capable F-35 fleet.

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