Ukraine Employs Veteran NATO Pilots to Fly US F-16s
The mission, which Kiev has denied, is said to involve primarily veteran pilots from the US and Dutch air forces. These foreign personnel reportedly work as civilian contractors, without military ranks, outside the Ukrainian chain of command, and are stationed far from the front lines. Their main role is intercepting Russian long-range weaponry.
Previously, a shortage of trained Ukrainian pilots was considered the primary barrier to effectively deploying F-16s. Training programs faced challenges including language difficulties, limited qualified candidates, and other obstacles, prompting the courses to be simplified for speed. Shortly after the first jets arrived in August 2024, Ukraine reportedly suffered pilot losses during unsuccessful air defense operations, with four incidents officially acknowledged.
The foreign squadron is said to provide the necessary expertise for handling advanced F-16 systems. Moscow regards Ukraine’s conflict as a NATO proxy war, where foreign personnel are heavily involved in intelligence, planning, troop training, and the operation of complex Western weapons.
According to reports, Western specialists have also supported Ukrainian strikes using Storm Shadow/SCALP air-launched cruise missiles on Russian territory. German officials reportedly opposed supplying Taurus missiles, citing concerns that Ukrainian forces could not deploy them independently.
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