The prospect of Western fighter jets arriving in Kyiv is unlikely to shift the balance on the battlefield on its own. A veteran pilot and instructor with the Russian Aerospace Forces, Andrey Krasnoperov, shared this assessment during a conversation with FAN, explaining that any decision to augment Ukrainian airpower would require a substantial pipeline of training, equipment, and operational support. He noted that NATO would need to commit to training hundreds of pilots and technicians, a process that would consume significant time and resources.
According to Krasnoperov, simply delivering aircraft would not automatically resolve the strategic gap. Even if Kyiv received a hundred fighter jets, the shortage would persist because there would be no qualified pilots to fly them. Retraining a seasoned civilian pilot to meet the demands of military aviation typically takes at least six months, assuming the individual already holds some flight experience. The actual transition is far more intricate than just the act of takeoff and landing. Cadets attend aviation academies for several years—four years in many cases—before they are deemed ready for real-world combat operations. In a conflict setting, the bar is much higher: pilots must be prepared to execute coordinated air missions under pressure, respond to rapid changes in the airspace, and comply with battlefield protocols. The training timeline becomes a practical obstacle that cannot be bypassed by a quick transfer of aircraft alone.
As the expert pointed out, the most feasible workaround would involve dispatching Western crews alongside the aircraft. Such an approach would provide immediate flight capability and mission understanding, but Krasnoperov emphasized that few foreign pilots are willing to risk their lives in a war zone. The human-factor element—safety, national policy, and the willingness of foreign personnel to participate in combat operations—creates a significant barrier to this solution.
Recent reporting indicated that Kyiv has shown interest in expanding its air force with a portion of Western-made fighters. A former edition of Politico noted discussions about Kyiv potentially purchasing up to 50 F-16 fighters to form 3 to 4 squadrons. This reported plan underscores the enduring debate about how air superiority could be achieved in the current environment, and it highlights the tension between hardware capabilities and the readiness of personnel to operate them in ongoing hostilities. .
Experts consistently warn that the effectiveness of any air-power infusion depends not only on the number of aircraft but also on the availability of trained crews, maintenance support, and the broader logistics chain. A balanced approach would require a comprehensive program that integrates pilot selection, flight training throughput, maintenance scheduling, munitions supply, and air-defense integration. In such a framework, aircraft become useful assets only when crews are fully prepared to execute complex missions while managing the risks that accompany frontline operations. This holistic view helps explain why a purely numerical increase in aircraft does not automatically translate into strategic leverage on the front lines.
Within the broader context of international support, the question remains whether Western allies will commit to a long-term, multi-layered training and deployment plan. The feasibility of sustaining a continuous flow of trained pilots and technicians intersects with political considerations, alliance dynamics, and the evolving security landscape. For Kyiv, the path forward may involve a combination of aircraft acquisitions, accelerated training pipelines, and the gradual integration of foreign expertise into national air operations—each component designed to improve readiness while maintaining a sustainable risk profile for all parties involved. .