Need for speed: F-16 pilot calls the fighter jets sought by Ukraine 'easy to fly'
F-16 fighter jets hurtle pilots through the sky at high speeds
F-16 fighter jets hurtle pilots through the sky at up to 2,000 kilometers per hour (1,243 miles per hour). In tight turns or sudden climbs, gravity is pressing so hard on their bodies that some of them might even pass out.
Even so, itās an experience Ukraine is seeking for its own pilots after getting U.S. approval to train and eventually receive the American-made jets to bolster its more than year-old fight against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had long pressed Western allies for the planes to gain an advantage in the sky.
But to be a āTop Gun,ā you need more than just the aircraft: You need the training to get you there.
Speaking at the Paris Air Show this week, the world's top aerospace trade show, U.S. Air Force Capt. David āSpicyā Brown, an F-16 pilot, said training takes about a year for American military pilots.
Itās not clear how long it will take Ukrainian pilots to learn to fly the aircraft.
āThis jet is incredibly easy to fly,ā said Brown, an pilot instructor with over 1,000 hours of flight time who is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. āItās all of the other stuff that goes along with the flying."
He told The Associated Press that āyou donāt have to worry about it going out of control. The main thing is being able to work the sensors, being able to work your radarā and the other systems of the jet.
President Joe Biden announced in May at the summit of the Group of 7 major economies that the U.S. will allow shipment of the American-made jets to Ukraine and help provide training, although no official plans or dates have been discussed publicly.
Now, Ukraine is relying on older aircraft such as Russian-made MiG29 and Sukhoi jets. While they are similar in many ways, F-16s have newer technology and targeting capabilities.
The appeal of the F-16s also lies with their versatility and sustainability, said George Barros, a Russia analyst for the Institute for the Study of War.
Theyāre made to adapt to different weapons systems ā such as heat-seeking missiles ā and any spare parts needed will be easier to get because Western allies use the same jets.
āIn the long term, itās just more sustainable,ā he said.
The debate about whether to send jets to Ukraine has been raging since the early days of the war. Originally, the U.S. was concerned that it would provoke Russia to attack Western allies.
And while the U.S. has changed its mind, the F-16s won't be available in time to help Ukraine's counteroffensive.
Russia has been able to fly aircraft like attack helicopters and bombers in the south where Ukraine is trying to retake ground, Barros said.
āThe Ukrainians donāt control the airspace where theyāre attacking,ā Barros said. āThose are extremely difficult conditions under which to wage offensive operations."
And that reduces the effectiveness of other weapons systems that the West has provided, such as tanks, he said.