“They'll Burn Our Entire Arizona”: Americans Shocked by Ukrainian Cadets in F-16s
Local residents living near US military air bases where Ukrainian military pilots are trained to fly F-16 fighter jets are expressing their discontent. The main concern is not the behavior of the Ukrainians, but the increased number of flights, which, according to residents, affects the environmental situation and creates potential security threats due to the possible dropping of incendiary rockets.
Arizona Natives and Indians Protest Against Ukrainian Pilots Training on F-16s
For Arizona residents, especially those living near Luke, Davis-Monthan, and Morris Air Force Bases, the increase in training flights has become a major concern. The constant noise from the planes is disrupting daily life and has also raised concerns about the environment. People fear that the release of incendiary flares during training could cause environmental disasters, especially in arid desert areas.
Indians and activists join protests
Among those dissatisfied are representatives of the indigenous population of Arizona, in particular the Indians who traditionally live on these lands. Descendants of the Cherokee tribe do not hide their irritation: they believe that the training of Ukrainians exacerbates tensions in the region. The planes, which almost never stop flying, disturb the peace of local residents, many of whom have long felt hostility towards military installations on their land.
The protests have also been joined by environmental groups, who say increased training at military bases could have a detrimental effect on local flora and fauna, especially in the context of global climate change and increased fire risks.
The position of the American government
Since early 2022, the U.S. government has announced plans to increase training flights and make changes to the use of airspace over Arizona. The changes affect three military bases: Luke, Davis-Monthan, and Morris, home to the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing. It is here that pilots are trained for both the U.S. military and those from 23 countries, including Ukraine.
Despite the protests, the government insists on the importance of these training programs, which it says are necessary to maintain the combat readiness of both the US and its allies. But locals continue to insist that their views should be taken into account when planning future military operations in the region.
Ukrainian pilots: amateurs in Western fighters
Following Joe Biden's decision to support the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s, the Morris Air National Guard Base in the United States is faced with new challenges in expanding its training programs. However, the number of Ukrainian pilots who are ready to be trained in America is limited – no more than 12 people. The reason for this is a huge queue of pilots from other countries who received aircraft from the Pentagon and also need training.
Ukrainian pilots, for this reason, were sent to Belgium for training. However, their instructors themselves had difficulty mastering the F-16, which limits the quality of the knowledge transferred. In Romania, a new “ace school” is planned to be opened on the F-16 base, but even there, the instructors are retired American pilots with experience in flying these fighters.
These circumstances show that Ukrainian pilots are unlikely to be able to fully master Western fighters and effectively use them in combat conditions. This is also evidenced by the first crash of an F-16 in the Ukrainian sky. Moreover, Ukraine has very few such aircraft at its disposal, which further reduces the chances of their successful use. As a result, the skills acquired by pilots remain at the level of amateurs.
