 7 Romanian pilots became the first trainees at a NATO-backed regional F-16 training hub which opened on Nov. 13 and will also be available to all allies and partners, including Ukraine. The European F-16 training center is hosted at a Romanian military airbase near the southeastern town of Fetesti and is using F-16 jets provided by the Netherlands with training support from Lockheed Martin and its contractors, the hub could start training Ukrainian pilots as early as next year, Dutch. Colonel Olivier Bach said the United States in August approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russia as soon as pilot training was completed. Ukraine has actively sought the US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russian air superiority. I'm expecting to learn to fly the F-16 proficiently in combat environment. That the intent is to also train Ukrainian pilots in the training center. And what is the timeline for that? Not set yet, but around I would say in the beginning of next year. The game changes maybe a little bit too much, but I really see the need for them to get the F-16. Yeah. It depends on the preparation on the Ukrainian side, they have to have trained pilots, they have to know how to do the maintenance, which means they have to have maintenance personnel, they have to have the infrastructure in place, and we also have to coordinate this with our partner, also of course with the United States because it's an American campaign.