The Minister of Defense said today that Portugal will provide training for Ukrainian pilots and mechanics to operate F-16 fighter jets, a component that she considers “absolutely fundamental” to the logistical effort.
“Portugal, from the beginning, has sent various types of material, and we have guaranteed our support to Ukraine in this regard and, at the moment, what we have committed to is providing training for pilots and mechanics, which is an absolutely fundamental component, as has been reported of this support, with air resources with F-16s,” said Helena Carreiras.
The minister was speaking to journalists at the Castelo Branco aerodrome, where she and the Minister for the Interior were visiting the fire-fighting aircraft funded by the European Union under the European Civil Protection Mechanism (RescEU).
Ukraine is to receive F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark after the United States (US) recently gave the green light, a decision that the Ukrainian government considers to be “great news”.
The US State Department, which is responsible for the country’s foreign policy, said that the Netherlands and Denmark have received “formal assurances” to send the fighters as soon as the training of the first group of F-16 pilots is completed.
The United States has strict rules about the resale or transfer of US military equipment by allies.
The defense minister also considered that some countries have more capacity and willingness to contribute resources, such as Denmark and the Netherlands.
“We [Portugal] will contribute with pilot training and mechanic training to this logistical effort, which is absolutely critical for the capacity to work,” concluded Helena Carreiras.