The European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), where Ukrainian pilots are also trained, has reached full capacity and received a full staff of aircraft.
According to Defense Romania, this was made possible by the Netherlands, which donated 18 fighter jets to the center in Romania. The publication also notes that the efforts of American Lockheed Martin, which provided the center with instructors, should not be forgotten.
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As Defense Express, we should note that starting in 2025, the EFTC in Romania will be the only center in Europe to train pilots and technicians on these fighters. This is because a similar center in Denmark at Skrydstrup Air Base is being shut down due to the country's transition to the F-35.
Thus, the pace of Ukrainian pilots' training on the F-16 will largely depend on the EFTC's capacity, as the only alternative currently available is training centers in the United States.
It should be recalled that, according to an official statement by the Ministry of National Defense of Romania, four Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training at EFTC. They arrived at the center in September and, if they complete the standard 8-month course, are expected to graduate around May 2025.
Although this number may seem rather small, the first EFTC pilot graduation, which took place this summer after an 8-month course, consisted of only seven Romanian air force pilots.
In June of this year, Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen stated that "about 20" Ukrainian pilots would be trained at the Skrydstrup Air Base by the end of the year. Ukrainian pilots are also currently being trained in the United States, although the number of trainees has not been announced.
It is worth noting that, in addition to the final training to become an F-16 pilot, pilots have to undergo basic training. It can be conducted in flight schools in NATO countries that are not F-16 operators. For instance, the UK has announced the training of 200 Ukrainian pilots.
Earlier Defense Express reported that F-16s had demonstrated effectiveness in Ukrainian sky.
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