US, Allies Weigh Possibility of Training Ukrainian Pilots

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States and allies are considering training Ukrainian pilots as part of an effort to help the country build a future air force, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown.

On the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Brown told Reuters that the US military and its allies were discussing potential training of Ukrainian pilots after Kiev requested F-15 and F-16 fighter jets amid Russia’s special military operation.

Brown did not confirm whether any final decision has been made on the issue, according to the report.

"You want to build a long-term plan on how do you build their [Ukrainian] air force and the air force that they're going to need for the future," Brown said.

According to Brown, any pilot training plan will have to take into account a number of factors, including the ability for Kiev to remove pilots from the fight to undergo lengthy instruction that could last between two and four months.

Last week, the US House of Representatives approved the National Defense Authorization Act that among other things provides $100 million for training of Ukrainian pilots on US fighter jets.

The United States to date has trained hundreds of Ukrainians on how to operate M777 howitzers, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and Phoenix Ghost drones among other weapons supplied to the country.