WSJ: Ukraine's F-16 deliveries face delays, full squadron unlikely before 2025

Ukraine is not expected to receive its planned 20 units of F-16 fighter jets and the necessary 40 trained pilots before the summer of 2025. 

According to US officials, the training programme for Ukrainian pilots has shifted its focus from experienced air force members to younger cadets, Caliber.Az reports, citing  The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

This change in strategy is likely to delay the arrival of a fully operational squadron of Western-built aircraft on the battlefield by several months.

The decision comes amid a shortage of experienced Ukrainian pilots with sufficient English-language skills, as many are currently engaged in active combat.

Some US officials also indicated that younger cadets may be more adaptable to Western-style training.

Notably, Ukraine took delivery of its first batch of US-built F-16 fighter jets on August 1, 2024, according to statements from Lithuania's foreign minister and a US official.

Kyiv previously expressed frustration over the lengthy process of acquiring the US-designed aircraft and training its pilots.

Ukraine has been forced to rely on a significantly depleted air force, much smaller and less advanced than that of its Russian adversary.

By Aghakazim Guliyev