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Pilots from the United States and the Netherlands are now flying American-made F-16 fighter jets for the Ukrainian Air Force (UAF), Intelligence Online reported on February 16.
It is unclear how many F-16s Ukraine has so far received out of the 85 pledged by Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, but the number is thought to be between 25 and 30. All the fighter jets are from the older Block 15 model, although they received the Mid-Life Update.
The UAF previously admitted losing four of its F-16s, with the first loss being reported last August, and the other three later in April, May, then in June.
The latest report from Intelligence Online revealed that the UAF secretly formed in recent weeks an F-16 squadron with Ukrainian, American and Dutch pilots to defend the capital, Kiev.
The American pilots include some with extensive combat experience in Afghanistan. One even recently participated in operations in the Middle East before joining the UAF. Meanwhile, Dutch pilots trained in elite European air combat schools, specializing in modern interception tactics and high-tech aerial warfare.
The veteran pilot signed temporary six-month contracts with possible extensions based on operational needs, according to the French intelligence news website, which noted that these pilots hold no official ranks in Ukraine’s military hierarchy and are not listed in public rosters.
The website said that the main value of Western pilots lies in their experience with advanced equipment, particularly Sniper targeting and reconnaissance pods. These systems allow pilots to track targets over long distances, monitor fast-moving missiles and drones, even at night or through heavy clouds.
The main task of the new F-16 squadron is regularly involved in intercepting Russian Kalibr and Kh-101 cruise missiles, as well as Geran-5 drones.
Intelligence Online also said that the fighter jets are conducting patrols, including night ones, maximizing radar coverage and rapid response capabilities.
The report was not surprising at all. Since the initiative to supply Ukraine with F-16 was first announced a few years ago it was widely speculated that Kiev will resort to recruiting mercenary pilots from the U.S. and European countries. The UAF never actually has enough time to train its pilots on the fighter jet.
While Intelligence Online didn’t clarify how exactly these pilots were recruited by the UAF, it is highly unlikely that this was done without the knowledge, and even approval, of their respective countries.
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i’ll have no sympathy when the fucker is shot out of the sky.
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you’d not have sympathy full stop youre a trollope .
mercenaries???
calling them mercenaries only shields the countries who sent them. they are pilots trained and sent.
call it what it is, nato.
call them.what they are england france .aka canada .
no one have to go. if they go, they are mercenaries.
what an idiotic statement it incriminates the country as being underhanded and engaging in war without declaring it .in fact technically i suspect that it’s a war crime .but obviously you just read the click bait headline and don’t even know that it’s only reported by anti american sources you can bet your life ,that it’s american pilots ,when in.fact it’s the kingdoms of norway denmark and the netherlands
the chief coward in moscow can’t spoil ‘negotiations’ for the jewish oligarchs in moscow
nato pilots in nato aircrafts participate in direct war against russia. they are not mercenaries.
correct they’re employees of the crown .which you will deny naturally being a trollope .
fudging from the trollope moderators corrupt as usual in the dishonest vote rigging .as always as fake as ever .
it takes a long time to train pilots. ukraine has no way to train them. the cia always funds and searches for new bodies to be used for empire. americans are kept ignorant by design
totally agreed and don’t forget the british, who hates russians by design since the time of the queen elizabeth. british hates russians because russia knows they are pirates, and piracy and lies, cheat and deceit are the best attributes of the british.
the cabal is what it is and will never discuss its actions. compartmentalization of governments is the internal tool to divide the masses from view. theater
well done ramses .where did you copy that from ?
the british piracy arise from the fact that the pope declared qe1 to be a bastard ,an illegitimate queen and encouraged her removal assassination as a threat to their hegemony which was unquestoned before protestantism ..england was catholic ,and that was illegal henry s lawyers discovered an ancient las forbidding anyone from over riding the king in his own dominions including the pope .
the spanish family from mary daughter of <catherine of aragon , claimed bloody mary the real queen .aka spanish england .they were financing war with the plunder they were murdering the incas for their el dorado of gold so the english were stealing what was stolen .fair play .equal force .
oh ramses at least try to get your facts correct the cia isn’t military .it’s an agency .
come on! fighter mercenaries pilots? it’s imposible, you need to be chosen by your air force to even train and get in on one of those fighter jets. most of the western countries are fighting disguised in ukraine, russia pretends nothing happens because it’s wwiii if they accept the reality in the field. and russia don’t want to fight the lackeys of the empire of the exceptionals.
put a sock in it trollope ..there’s only one empire that still has knights if significance in this world and that’s the british with its knight commanders like sir bill gates , and it serving under the original roman occupations still ,directed from the king of kings .the pope with their knights like sir jimmy saville .
morfe evidence americunts are inferior species losers humiliated by russia
nice target practice for su-35s and mig-31s…
and i only hope the russians will provide the videos along with the popcorn for the ones who eject and either swallow their cyanide capsule on landing or put up a fight when they meet the turf, as well as those that become crispy fertilizer. perhaps a sign in russian around their necks on capture that they are the worst form of human scum that salute a child solodomist/rapist, cannibal that work for the zionist tribe!…
go and learn something ramses apart from how to repeat anti semitic bullshit .
the kingdoms of ….. against the republic .the nasis were monarchists .the nazionalist socialists were propaganda .roman
the search by the ru for ‘on-the-ground’ aircraft of the uaf should be increased 20 fold… do not spare the expense or lose… it’s very simple really
meh, still don’t understand why after four years of war the cowards in moscow are still allowing the ukraine to fly aircraft