A group of Ukrainian pilots have completed a six-month training in France, the French Air Force announced last week.
It is the second leg of a three-part training program, with the first phase in the UK and the third in Romania.
The group began training in France in March on the Alpha Jet aircraft, a light attack jet and advanced jet trainer.
The aircraft is fitted with panels that simulate the instruments of an F-16 and can fly at a maximum speed of 900 kilometers (559 miles) per hour.
The training comprises about 80 hours in the air and 70 on a simulator, according to Euronews.
In the UK, the pilots were trained for 80 hours on a GROB-115 general aviation aircraft, which has a top speed of about 220 kilometers (137 miles) per hour.
Compressed Training
Meanwhile, the final leg is expected to allow the group to train on the F-16s for 60 hours. The aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of around 2,100 kilometers (1,305 miles) per hour.
The group reportedly consists of 10 members, although the French Air Force previously committed to training 26 Ukrainian pilots, according to Le Monde.
“This is a significant effort, given that the French Air Force normally certifies around 30 pilots a year, after four or five years worth of training,” the French outlet wrote in June.
Apart from the three-phase program, Ukrainian pilots are undergoing training in the US and Denmark to operate the fourth-generation Lockheed Martin aircraft, 90 of which have been committed to Ukraine by partner nations.
