F-16 training coalition

Last updated
F-16 training coalition
NicknameOcean's 11 [1]
Formation11 July 2023;5 months ago (2023-07-11)
FoundersFlag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Founded at Vilnius, Lithuania
Type Military coalition
Legal statusActive
PurposeTraining of F-16 pilots and ground personnel
Area served
NATO and allied countries
Membership
13 countries and Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
List

The F-16 training coalition is an international coalition formed on 11 July 2023 during the Vilnius Summit with the task of training F-16 pilots, technicians, and support personnel for the Ukrainian Air Force. It originally consisted of 11 nations: Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as Ukraine. [2] The group was nicknamed the "Ocean's 11" by Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov, in reference to the American film Ocean's Eleven . [1] On 22 August, it was announced that Greece had also joined the coalition, while on 24 August, the United States announced it joined the training efforts as well. [3] [4]

Contents

As part of the coalition efforts, a training hub will also be set up in Romania. The Netherlands, Romania, and Lockheed Martin will contribute to the creation and maintenance of this center. [5]

Before the Vilnius summit

In February 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the United Kingdom's intent to train Ukrainian pilots for the F-16 fighter. As the country does not operate the F-16, it could only provide elementary and basic flight training. [6] The British government also announced its intention to create an international coalition for providing Ukraine with air combat capabilities following a meeting between the British prime minister and his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, at the Council of Europe summit in Iceland on 17 May. [7] Soon, the United States, Portugal, Denmark, and Belgium also declared that they would join the initiative. [8]

Later that month, it was reported that 20 Ukrainian pilots were to start their training in the UK. The training was to be limited to ground-based basics which would make the pilots ready for more specific F-16 training. [8] In June, the Dutch government submitted a plan according to which the Ukrainian pilots would take part in basic flight training and programs that would increase English language proficiency. According to this plan, a training center would also be established "in an eastern European NATO member state". [9] Speculations appeared soon after that the NATO member in question was Romania, with the defense news site Defense Romania noting that Romania was the single NATO country operating the F-16 in the region and that the establishment of such a center would also be beneficial for the country which bought 32 F-16s from Norway and faced challenges in training the required pilots. [10]

At the beginning of July, it was announced that the Romanian Ministry of Defence was to sign an agreement with Lockheed Martin for the establishment of an F-16 training center in Romania, on the condition that Romanian pilots were to have priority. This was confirmed by Ray Piselli, Vice President of International Affairs at Lockheed Martin, who said that the company received a request to set up a training center that will serve Romanian and allied pilots, with the expectation of including Ukrainian pilots as well. [11] On 6 July, following a meeting of the Romanian Supreme Council of National Defence ahead of the Vilnius Summit, Romania's possible participation in the international F-16 coalition and the hosting of the training center was further discussed and approved. [12]

The F-16 coalition

On 11 July, a memorandum was signed between 11 nations and Ukraine during the Vilnius Summit. As part of the signed memorandum, Ukrainian pilots, technicians, and support personnel will participate in the training program. The coalition consisted of Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. [2] According to the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Denmark and the Netherlands took leadership of the formed coalition and the two nations are to outline the training plan. [13] At the end of August, eight Ukrainian pilots and 65 additional personnel, arrived in Denmark at the Skrydstrup Air Base to conduct trainig on basic tactical and technical levels. [14] [15]

On 22 August, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Greece joined the coalition and will help with the training of Ukrainian pilots. [3] [16] Two days later, the United States announced its participation in training Ukrainian pilots as well. As reported by the Department of Defense, training in the US is expected to start in October at the Morris Air National Guard Base. [4] A small number of Ukrainian pilots began training with the 162nd Wing around 25 October. [17]

Bulgarian Minister of Defence Todor Tagarev also announced his country's intention of joining the coalition and providing training for medical personnel and ground crews. [18] On 12 October, Tagarev signed a memorandum of cooperation with his Ukrainian counterpart which included assistance in English courses for the future Ukrainian F-16 pilots. [19]

Letter of intent signed by Romania, the Netherlands, and Lockheed Martin F16 Training Letter of Intent.jpg
Letter of intent signed by Romania, the Netherlands, and Lockheed Martin

The training center

After the Vilnius Summit, it was announced that the F-16 Training Center in Romania would be located at the 86th Air Base of the Romanian Air Force in Fetești. The training hub is funded by all coalition members, while Romania provides the infrastructure of the base, the Netherlands will provide the F-16s for training, and Lockheed Martin will provide the instructors through its subcontractors, Draken International and Gesellschaft für Flugzieldarstellung (GFD)  [ de ]. As agreed, Romanian pilots will start their training first, then the center will expand to include Ukrainian and other pilots. [20] [21] Following the visit to Romania on 10 October, President Zelenskyy announced that it was agreed to speed up the process and Ukrainian pilots will be enrolled in the first wave of training. [22] [23] According to Dutch Chief of Defence Onno Eichelsheim, the Ukrainian pilots are to begin training at the center in early 2024. [24]

At the end of August, it was reported that the Netherlands would initially bring 12 F-16s to the training center. [25] The number of F-16s could be further increase to 18 aircraft. [26] Before training could start, these aircraft will first be used for refresher training of the hired F-16 instructors. Training will be carried out only in NATO airspace. [27]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) with Dutch Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands Volodymyr Zelensky F-16.jpg
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) with Dutch Minister of Defense Kajsa Ollongren at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands

During the Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Toledo, Spain, a Letter of intent regarding the establishment of the F-16 Training Center in Romania was signed by the Romanian Minister of Defence Angel Tîlvăr with the Dutch Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren and Lockheed Martin executive Filippo Marchetti. [27] Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also confirmed that the necessary approvals for initiating the training were secured. [28]

The first aircraft arrived on 7 November, with the European F-16 Training Center being opened after an official ceremony on 13 November. [29] [30] [31]

F-16 supplied to Ukraine

On 17 August, the United States approved the donation of F-16 fighters to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands. [32] The two countries subsequently announced their intention to supply Ukraine with 19 and 42 aircraft, respectively. [33] The first batch of 18 F-16s from the Netherlands was announced on 22 December. The aircraft might be delivered in the first half of 2024 according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. [34] Norway has also announced its intention to donate F-16s to Ukraine, however, no numbers have been revealed yet. [35]

On 11 October, it was announced that Belgium will supply an undisclosed number of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. The aircraft will not be delivered until 2025. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon</span> American multi-role fighter aircraft

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Netherlands armed forces

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army, which was founded in 1913. The aerobatic display team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, active from 1979 until 2019, was the Solo Display Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukrainian Air Force</span> Aerial warfare branch of Ukraines armed forces

The Ukrainian Air Force is the air force of Ukraine and one of the seven branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators</span>

The United States Air Force (USAF), four of its NATO partners, and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), a major non-NATO US ally, are the primary operators of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. With the evolution of sales under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contracts, many other air forces have also acquired F-16s. Most nations that have bought F-16s continue to use them as of 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest</span> Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest

Romania has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 23 times since its debut in 1994, and has placed in the top ten six times. Its best results were achieved by Luminița Anghel and Sistem in 2005, and by Paula Seling and Ovi in 2010, who both finished in third place. Selecția Națională, a song contest that has been taking place every year in Romania except for 2021, has been used to select the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romanian Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of Romanias military

The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) (Romanian: Forțele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five airbases and an air defense brigade. Reserve forces include one air base and three airfields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgian Air Component</span> Aviation branch of Belgian Armed Forces

The Belgian Air Component is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces, and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force. It was founded in 1909 and is one of the world's oldest air services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unification of Moldova and Romania</span> Movement for uniting Moldova and Romania

The unification of Moldova and Romania is a popular concept in the two countries that began during the Revolutions of 1989. The Romanian Revolution in 1989 and the independence of Moldova in 1991 further contributed to the development of a movement for the unification of the two Romanian-speaking countries. The question of reunification is recurrent in the public sphere of the two countries, often as a speculation, both as a goal and a danger. Though historically Romanian support for unification was high, a 2022 survey during the Russian invasion of Ukraine indicated that only 11% of Romania's population supports an immediate union, while over 42% think it is not the right moment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RoAF 86th Air Base</span>

The Romanian Air Force 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță" is located in commune Borcea, Călărași County near the town of Fetești. It is currently the home of the 53rd Fighter Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Inspectorate of Aviation (Romania)</span> Military unit

The General Inspectorate of Aviation is Ministry of Internal Affairs's air component. The unit was initially established in 1948, but restructured in 1978. It has its overall headquarters at Aurel Vlaicu International Airport and operates five territorial flights in Bucharest, Caransebeș, Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Tulcea. The current General Inspector is Air Flotilla General Cătălin-Paul Dache.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II procurement</span> Fighter procurement

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II procurement is the planned selection and purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) by various countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maia Sandu</span> President of Moldova since 2020

Maia Sandu is a Moldovan politician who has been the President of Moldova since 24 December 2020. She is the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and former Prime Minister of Moldova from 8 June 2019 until 14 November 2019, when the government collapsed after a vote of no-confidence. Sandu was Minister of Education from 2012 to 2015 and member of the Parliament of Moldova from 2014 to 2015, and again in 2019. Sandu was elected President of Moldova in a landslide victory during the 2020 Moldovan presidential election. The first female president of Moldova, Sandu is a strong supporter of the accession of Moldova to the European Union, overseeing Moldova's granting of candidate status, and is considered 'pro-Western'. She has criticised and opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported subsequent steps to reduce Moldova's economic dependence on Russia, frequently expressing sympathy and support for Ukraine in the conflict. Sandu has made anti-corruption, economic reform and liberalisation a central part of her political platform, as well as closer integration with Europe. In February 2023, she accused Russia of seeking to stage a coup of the Moldovan government and has continued to seek to reduce Russia's influence over the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florin Cîțu</span> Prime Minister of Romania from 2020 to 2021

Florin Vasile Cîțu is a Romanian politician who served as Prime Minister of Romania between December 2020 and November 2021. Sometimes labeled as Romania's first libertarian Prime Minister, he was also the leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) between September 2021 and April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd Fighter Squadron "Warhawks"</span> Military unit

The 53rd Fighter Squadron "Warhawks" is a squadron of the Romanian Air Force, first formed on 1 June 1940, then reactivated on 29 September 2016. The squadron currently operates the F-16AM/BM fighter aircraft.

Events from the year 2022 in Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Interflex</span> British training mission in Ukraine

Operation Interflex is the operational code name for the British-led multinational military operation to train and support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is a successor to Operation Orbital (2015–2022) and began in July 2022. Unlike its predecessor, Operation Interflex takes place within the United Kingdom and is supported by contingents from international partners.

Events from the year 2023 in Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2023 European visits by Volodymyr Zelenskyy</span> Bilateral meetings between the president of Ukraine and European leaders

In May 2023, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, made multiple unannounced trips to many European countries. On 3 May, Zelenskyy travelled to Finland, where he met with the four prime ministers of the Nordic countries. On 4 May, Zelenskyy travelled to the Netherlands, meeting with the prime ministers of Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as visiting the International Criminal Court.

References

  1. 1 2 Shukla, Sebastian; Marquardt, Alex (23 July 2023). "Ukrainian defense minister says F-16 training will start in August, with pilots in the skies next year". CNN .
  2. 1 2 "In Vilnius, Oleksii Reznikov signed the Memorandum on the establishing of the coalition for the training Ukrainian pilots for the F-16". mil.gov.ua. 2023-07-11.
  3. 1 2 Voichuk, Iryna (22 August 2023). "Greece joins Ukraine's F-16 fighter jet coalition". Euromaidan Press .
  4. 1 2 Clark, Joseph (24 August 2023). "U.S. Will Train Ukrainian F-16 Pilots, Ground Crews". defense.gov.
  5. ↑ Petrișor, Adelin (14 July 2023). "Centrul pentru pregătirea piloţilor de F-16 de la Fetești, organizat de România, Olanda şi o companie americană". TVR (in Romanian).
  6. ↑ Chuter, Andrew (15 May 2023). "Britain to train Ukrainian pilots, supply more missiles and drones". defensenews.com.
  7. ↑ Iordan, Nicolae (17 May 2023). "Marea Britanie intenționează să formeze o "coaliție internațională" pentru a înarma Ucraina cu F-16". DefenseRomania (in Romanian).
  8. 1 2 "Media: First 20 Ukrainian pilots to enter F-16 training in UK". The Kyiv Independent . 25 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots to start in the coming months". english.defensie.nl. 15 June 2023.
  10. ↑ Mureșan, Darius (15 June 2023). "Piloții ucraineni de F-16, pregătiți în România? S-a confirmat oficial crearea unui centru de pregătire de F-16 în Europa de Est". DefenseRomania (in Romanian).
  11. ↑ "Centru Regional de Pregătire pentru piloții de F16, în România. Care sunt condițiile puse de Ministerul Apărării și cât de aproape suntem de semnarea unui acord cu americanii". TVR (in Romanian). 4 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Mihăescu, Alexandru (6 July 2023). "România vrea să deschidă un centru de instruire a piloților de avioane F-16 unde să se antreneze și piloți din Ucraina – decizie CSAT". G4media (in Romanian).
  13. ↑ Gordon, Chris (15 June 2023). "NATO Allies Reveal New Details on Ukrainian F-16 Training". airandspaceforces.com.
  14. ↑ "Group of 11 countries forms coalition for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters". Ukrainska Pravda . 11 July 2023.
  15. ↑ Johannes Birkebaek (22 August 2023). "Eight Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in Denmark". Reuters .
  16. ↑ "Greece to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots, Zelenskiy says". Reuters . 21 August 2023.
  17. ↑ Liebermann, Oren (25 October 2023). "Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in US". CNN .
  18. ↑ Mureșan, Darius (31 August 2023). "Bulgaria vrea în "Ocean's 11", coaliția F-16 pentru Ucraina. Vecinii României de la sud de Dunăre – gata să pregătească tehnicieni de F-16" (in Romanian).
  19. ↑ "Bulgaria will help Ukrainian F-16 pilots learn English". Ukrainska Pravda. 12 October 2023.
  20. ↑ Petrișor, Adelin (14 July 2023). "Centrul pentru pregătirea piloților de F-16 de la Fetești, organizat de România, Olanda și o companie americană". TVR (in Romanian).
  21. ↑ Goanță, Horațiu (14 November 2023). "Inaugurarea Centrului European de Instruire F-16 din România, la Baza 86". aviatiamagazin.com (in Romanian).
  22. ↑ "Zelensky, Iohannis agree to speed up F-16 training of Ukrainian pilots". ukrinform.net. 10 October 2023.
  23. ↑ Zelenskyy, Volodymyr [@ZelenskyyUa] (10 October 2023). "There is a very important decision: in Romania, pilots will be trained to operate F-16s" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "Romania Debuts F-16 Center, Hosts Ukrainian Pilots for Joint Exercises". mil.in.ua. 14 November 2023.
  25. ↑ Petrișor, Adelin (12 August 2023). "Primii opt piloți ucraineni de F-16 vor pilota aeronavele americane în vara lui 2024". TVR (in Romanian).
  26. ↑ Petrișor, Adelin (12 August 2023). "Olanda va aduce în baza aeriană Fetești 12 avioane F-16, la Centrul regional de antrenament". TVR (in Romanian).
  27. 1 2 "Lockheed Martin gaat F-16-trainingen verzorgen in Roemenië". defensie.nl (in Dutch). 29 August 2023.
  28. ↑ Díaz, Pablo (30 August 2023). "F-16 Training Center Established in Romania for Ukrainian Pilots; Netherlands, Lockheed Martin Set to Collaborate". Aviacionline.
  29. ↑ "The first five aircraft of the European F-16 Training Center landed in Fetești". mapn.ro. 7 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "Nederlandse F-16's op weg naar trainingscentrum in Roemenië". defensie.nl (in Dutch). 7 November 2023.
  31. ↑ Court, Elsa (13 November 2023). "Training center for Ukrainian F-16 pilots opens in Romania". The Kyiv Independent.
  32. ↑ Holland, Steve; Ali, Idrees (18 August 2023). "US approves sending F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and Netherlands". Reuters .
  33. ↑ "Denmark and Netherlands pledge to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as Zelenskyy visits". Euronews . 20 August 2023.
  34. ↑ "No F-16s in 2023 says Air Force". The New Voice of Ukraine . 25 December 2023.
  35. ↑ Chiappa, Claudia (25 August 2023). "US sets date to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots as Norway pledges jets". Politico .
  36. ↑ Gosselin-Malo, Elisabeth (11 October 2023). "Belgium agrees to send F-16s to Ukraine, but not before 2025". defensenews.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.