Ukraine conflict: Denmark confirms commencement of F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots

Denmark has begun training Ukrainian pilots on its F-16s, ahead of transferring the aircraft to the embattled country. (NATO)

Denmark has commenced the training of Ukrainian pilots on the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on 13 September.

Announcing a media event for the arrival of the first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II into Flyvestation Skrydstrup (Skrydstrup Air Base), the MoD noted that Ukrainian pilots were being trained on the F-16 at the station.

“Among other things, due to increased safety at the airbase in connection with training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, there will be limited freedom of movement on the day,” the MoD said.

The confirmation came some three months after Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in June that the country had taken steps to launch F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots. This was followed in September by Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway pledging to transfer F-16s to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) maintains around 40 F-16AM/BM Block 15 mid-life upgrade (MLU) aircraft, including some in storage, while the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has 24 F-16AMs updated to the same MLU standard that provides for an analogous capability to the US Air Force's F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft. This includes the carriage of the latest AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, as well as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), and other air-to-surface munitions.