A Greek pilot has reportedly arrived in Ukraine becoming the first foreign instructor for the use of the F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine’s air force.
The foreign instructor is a flight officer of the Greek Air Force, as reported by Defencepoint.gr. To date, there has been no official confirmation from the Greek Ministry of Defense.
”The Greek Air Force has gained vast experience and expertise in the operational use of the fighter in air-to-air missions, especially in close air combat,” the Greek publication reported.
Greek pilot and the F-16 Training Coalition initiative in Ukraine
The arrival of the Greek pilot in the Ukrainian capital is assumed to be part of the F-16 Training Coalition initiative, an international coalition established on July 13, 2023, at the NATO summit in Vilnius to train Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel to operate this type of fighter aircraft.
A memorandum was signed between 11 nations and Ukraine during the Vilnius Summit. As part of the signed memorandum, Ukrainian pilots, technicians, and support personnel will participate in the training program. The coalition consisted of Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
According to the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Denmark and the Netherlands took leadership of the formed coalition and the two nations are to outline the training plan.
At the end of August, eight Ukrainian pilots and 65 additional personnel, arrived in Denmark at the Skrydstrup Air Base to conduct training on basic tactical and technical levels.
On 22 August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Greece joined the coalition and would help with the training of Ukrainian pilots.
Two days later, the US announced its participation in training Ukrainian pilots as well. As reported by the Department of Defense, training in the US is expected to start in October at the Morris Air National Guard Base. A small number of Ukrainian pilots began training with the 162nd Wing around 25 October.
European nations to supply F-16s to Ukraine
Last fall, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands committed to supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets starting in 2025. Currently, the total number of pledged F-16s is about 80. Kyiv has been urgently requesting more advanced jets to strengthen its air force against Russia’s larger and more technologically advanced fleet.
Last week Washington decided that US-made weapons could be used over part of Ukraine’s border with Russia to counter Moscow’s offensive aimed at the city of Kharkiv.
The change will allow the Ukrainian army to target Russian forces massing across the border in the Belgorod region but restrictions remain on the use of US long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.
Despite concerns that such a development could further escalate the conflict, several European leaders also recently called for restrictions on the use of such weapons to be relaxed.