The arrival of the pair marks the first time Ukrainian pilots have travelled to the US. But officials said their presence does not mean the US has decided to send fighter jets as part of its military aid.
Officials have made clear that the Ukrainians will not be flying an actual aircraft - but instead using a simulator that can mimic flying various types of aircraft.
"Since we haven't made the decision to provide F-16s and neither have our allies and partners, it doesn't make sense to start to train them on a system they may never get," said undersecretary for defence, Colin Kahl. If a proper training programme does go ahead, it is estimated to take around 18 months, the same amount of time it would take for the US to send refurbished, older models of the jets to Ukraine.There are also no immediate plans to increase the number of pilots beyond the two in Tucson, but an official told NBC that they are"not closing the door on future opportunities".
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