The first group of Ukrainian pilots that will take part in F-16 training have been identified, moving Kyiv one step closer to fielding an advanced warplane that could ward off further Russian invasions.

According to both a U.S. official and a person familiar with Ukrainian planning, who weren’t authorized to speak on the record about the plans, eight Ukrainian pilots who are fluent in English are ready to begin training on the fighter jet as soon as a formal training plan is drawn up by a handful of European allies and approved by the United States. The exact timing of that instruction remains unclear.

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The U.S. official further said 20 pilots that speak some English are available to start language courses in the United Kingdom as soon as this month. (That may be what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meant when he announced the start of F-16 training in August.) Altogether, 32 Ukrainian pilots — enough for two squadrons — have been identified to potentially take part in the training program, but English proficiency remains a sticking point.

Continue here: Politico