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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Dan Sabbagh and Julian Borger

US to back fighter jet training for Ukrainian pilots

A US Air Force pilot performs pre-flight checks from the cockpit of an F-16 at Bagram airfield, Afghanistan.
A US Air Force pilot performs pre-flight checks from the cockpit of an F-16 at Bagram airfield, Afghanistan. Photograph: Tech Sgt Robert Cloys/AFP/Getty Images

The US has told its allies it will back a joint international effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 and other modern fighter jets, marking a significant boost to western support for Kyiv as it prepares a major counteroffensive.

Joe Biden has already informed fellow leaders attending a G7 summit in Japan of his decision, a senior administration official said, adding that the plan would include training “on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian air force”.

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