How many Ukrainian pilots has the UK trained?
January 3, 2025
On 2 January 2025, the Euromaidan Press reported that: “In a significant milestone for Ukraine’s military modernization, 200 Ukrainian pilots have successfully completed comprehensive preliminary training in the United Kingdom, positioning themselves for advanced F-16 fighter jet instruction,” citing the Ukrainian Embassy in the UK as its source. The real number is 24!
The Euromaidan Press is a registered non-governmental organization in Ukraine, covering a wide range of stories, but with an emphasis on covering: “Ukrainian soldiers’ efforts to defend the territorial integrity of our country’s eastern flank.”
It says that its mission is to “provide truthful, reliable, and accurate information on developments within Ukraine as well as on issues that relate to Ukraine, both as a state entity and a multi-ethnic free society, by developing and maintaining media, information, and analytical sources that are non-partisan, non-religious, non-aligned, and that counter the disinformation that is detrimental to Ukraine and to Ukrainian society.”
The RAF began delivering English language and flying training in August 2023 as part of the UK contribution to the international Air Capability Coalition for Ukraine, which saw allies and partners working together to bolster Ukraine’s air capabilities.
Six experienced Ukrainian combat fighter pilots received aviation-specific English language training to increase their ability to engage with coalition training and support, before going on for advanced training elsewhere. Ten less experienced Ukrainian trainee pilots took part in the language training but remained in the UK to continue with practical elementary flight training, undertaking a 50 flying hour Elementary Flying Training (EFT) phase flying the Grob 115E Tutor, with RAF flying instructors. The Ukrainians were not trained alongside RAF students, and followed a different syllabus, using a different aircraft type. Ukrainian students flew the Grob Tutor (which is otherwise used for University Air Squadron elementary flying training and cadet air experience flying) rather than the Grob 120TP Prefect used by RAF students. While RAF trainee pilots move from EFTS to the Raytheon T-6 Texan for basic flying training, before advanced flying training on the BAE Systems Hawk, the Ukrainian pilots move straight on to advanced fast jet training in France for the second part of their training, flying the Alpha Jet. The first ten completed their training in March 2024.
Another course of eight Ukrainian pilots graduated on 22 October 2024, when it was reported that the RAF had trained 24 pilots (perhaps including the original six ‘language training only’ students).
Not all of the pilots trained on Operation Interstorm have been ‘ab initio’, the prize-winning student on the latest Interstorm course, for example, was already a fast jet pilot in Ukraine. This reflects the need to retrain Ukrainian pilots ‘from the ground up’ to ensure that they can get the best from their new aircraft.
The Operation Interstorm training package encompasses basic flying, ground school, and language skills, and marks a critical step in preparing Ukrainian pilots to fly Western fighter aircraft, like the F-16 and Mirage 2000. Initially, Ukrainian pilots were taught English before learning to fly, but they now do both together.
There has been speculation that the disparity between the 24 pilots actually trained, and the 200 quoted may be down to a misunderstanding caused by the RAF’s asinine policy of referring to all personnel (whether ground based or aircrew) by the supposedly non-gendered term aviator, when that word does have a recognised meaning – (“The operator or pilot of an aircraft and especially an airplane,” according to Merriam Webster.
Thus when the British Embassy in Kiev announced that 200 Ukrainian aviators had received basic flying, ground school and language training in the UK before flying F-16s it might have meant 200 personnel, including the 24 pilots and 176 groundcrew and non-flying support personnel. It had previously been acknowledged that alongside pilots “dozens of Ukrainian aircraft technicians are receiving English language training, geared towards engineering, to enable them to engage with coalition training and support.”
