He called on Western pilots to come and “fight for freedom” in Ukraine until Kiev can train its own airmen. American-made F-16 fighters have started to arrive in Ukraine, but there are currently not enough pilots to fly them.
During a press conference in Kiev on Monday, Graham said: “If you’re a retired F-16 pilot and you’re looking to fight for freedom, they will hire you here“
“They’re going to look throughout NATO nations for willing fighter pilots who retired to come help them, until they can get their pilots trained.”
The warmonger then added: “We’re going to get these jets into the theater sooner rather than later“
RT reports: A host of Western nations, including Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway, have pledged to provide Ukraine with more than 80 F-16 fighters. In service since 1978, the F-16 is currently flown by more than two dozen countries, although many are retiring these aging airframes in favor of the more modern F-35.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky confirmed earlier this month that the first batch of F-16s had arrived in the country, and were already being flown by Ukrainian pilots. Zelensky did not say how many jets had arrived, and the American-built fighters have yet to be spotted in combat.
Zelensky admitted that Ukraine does not have enough pilots to fly all of the jets pledged by the West, but said that “many guys are now training.” These pilots are currently being trained in the US and Denmark, while it is unclear whether a new training hub in Romania has begun accepting cadets. In June, a Pentagon official told Politico that a total of 20 Ukrainian F-16 pilots are expected to graduate by the end of this year, half of the 40 needed to make up a squadron.
Whether flown by Ukrainians or Westerners, F-16s require exceptionally clean and smooth runways to operate. With Ukraine’s airfields regularly damaged by Russian missile strikes, some Ukrainian officials have suggested stationing these high-maintenance fighters at airbases in neighboring NATO countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any base hosting Ukrainian F-16s would become a legitimate target for the Russian military, while the Kremlin has declared that no amount of Western hardware will win the conflict for Ukraine.
“These planes will appear, their number will gradually decrease, they will be shot down and destroyed. They will not be able to significantly influence the dynamics of events at the front,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier this month.
P.s. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has recently praised Ukraine’s bold cross-border operations into Russia, calling for retired Western F-16 pilots to join the fight for freedom. As F-16 fighters begin arriving in Ukraine, Graham emphasized the urgent need for skilled pilots, urging veterans to “fight for freedom” until Ukrainian airmen are adequately trained.
During a press conference in Kyiv, Graham stated, “If you’re a retired F-16 pilot and you’re looking to fight for freedom, they will hire you here.” His call comes as over 80 F-16s are pledged by NATO allies, including Belgium and Denmark. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the arrival of the first batch, though he admitted that the country lacks enough trained pilots to operate them effectively.
Currently, 20 Ukrainian pilots are being trained in the U.S. and Denmark, with expectations to graduate by year-end. However, due to the damaged condition of Ukraine's airfields from ongoing Russian strikes, there are considerations to station these jets in neighboring NATO countries, despite warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin that bases hosting Ukrainian F-16s would become legitimate targets.
As the situation unfolds, the effectiveness of these American-made fighters in altering the dynamics of the conflict remains a topic of intense debate, especially amid Kremlin assertions that Western hardware alone will not secure victory for Ukraine.