this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2023
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Release the F16s!
they are now on it. It just takes over a year to train pilots, sadly
From scratch, sure, but surely am already trained pilot would take significantly less time to learn a new airframe?
It isn’t just about flying a plane.
You’ve got to be certified in each weapon the planes are supplied with. You’ve got to learn the doctrines, then shift to the doctrines, that the planes were built for.
Then you’ve got to resupply the planes. Maintain them. Fix them. Service them. Store them. Debug them. Keep them in the air.
There’s a massive logistical challenge to integrating F-16s into Ukraine.
Not so much. The doctrine won't be that different. The most pressing matters are air superiority and bombardment. Bombardment they can already do it actually. They can train for the new air superiority tech and see for the rest later.
The mechanics are probably the hardest to train.
Ukraine's going to be well fit for NATO after this.
Who knew it would be so difficult and time consuming to learn how to fly around and do a bit of pew-pew. I thought it was more like getting in the car and driving to the shop, but with bombs.
From scratch it would take several years. At least in my country, to train a pilot you have to go to the Military Air Force School to complete an 8 semester long career that won't necessarily grant you a position as a pilot. Of course, with constrained times of war, this can be achieved in less than 4 years, but 1 year seems like a stretch. Now, if you have a vast disposal of trained pilots, I guess you can make it in one year or even less, depending on several factors. The problem is I don't find stats about this case, and even if there are a lot of Ukrainian pilots ready to fly, they are probably not seasoned in combat.
Which is why it's shameful that they didn't start training programs last year.
Training is needed