First batch of Ukrainian pilots graduated from F-16 training in Arizona - POLITICO

The first batch of Ukrainian pilots have graduated from F-16 training at an Arizona military base, a crucial step toward putting modern, American-made fighter jets in Ukraine’s skies, Capt. Erin Hannigan, a spokesperson with the Air National Guard, told POLITICO.

The pilots had been training at the 162d National Guard Air Force Base in Tucson. Hannigan would not confirm how many have graduated or the exact date of graduation “out of abundance of caution for their safety.”

The pilots are now headed to Europe for additional training, POLITICO adds, citing a person with knowledge of their movements.

Ukraine is slated to receive more than 60 F-16s f