Czechia to train eight Ukrainian F-16 pilots by end of 2026
The Czech government has approved a proposal by the Ministry of Defence to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
As reported by the Czech Ministry of Defence, the state-owned company LOM Praha will provide up to 150 flight training hours to a maximum of eight Ukrainian pilots by the end of 2026.
"The pilots will train on F-16 aircraft, which are not in service with the Czech army, but the Ukrainian side has also expressed interest in training on simulators and subsonic L-39 jets," the ministry said.
All training-related expenses – totalling CZK 32 million (about US$1.5 million) – will be covered by the approved budget of the Czech Ministry of Defence, the government said.
"We have the capacity, the know-how and the experience, and in cooperation with the Czech Army, we are ready to offer them where they are truly needed," said LOM Praha Director Jiří Protiva.
In May, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala agreed to cooperate in training Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighters.
In June, 18 Ukrainian civil aviation pilots completed a two-year training programme in Czechia.
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11 of July 2025
