According to NATO standards: The Ministry of Defence has developed new flight procedures for tactical aviation
12 August 2024 16:31
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has developed new flight procedures for tactical aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine based on NATO standards. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Defence.
It is noted that the order approving the Acceptable Methods of Conformity (AMC) and the Guidance Material (GM) to the guidelines “Flight Operations Procedures for Tactical Aviation” contains instructions, explanations and interpretations developed by the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine. They will help to safely operate tactical aviation aircraft of domestic and Western models.
The agency added that a specially created working group in the Air Force of Ukraine is already implementing the new standards.
The State Aviation Administration plans to develop four more sets of such procedures for other types of aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Our tactical aviation has new flight procedures in line with NATO standards, which will enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces. We are moving forward and doing everything possible to ensure that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have an advantage on the battlefield,” said First Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk.
The State Aviation Administration of Ukraine is an authorised body of the Ministry of Defence responsible for implementing the state policy in the field of state aviation and protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty both in peacetime and in times of war.
We would like to add that Ukraine has received the first batch of F-16 fighter jets from Western allies.
On 4 August , President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the Western F-16 aircraft had arrived in Ukraine. During the Air Force Day events , two planes flew in the sky, and two more stood behind Zelenskyy.
The Economist reported that Ukraine received the first ten of a possible 79 F-16s on the last day of July. It is expected that by the end of 2024, Ukraine will have 20 of these fighters. However, experts note that this number may not be enough to have a significant impact on the course of hostilities.
However, according to The New York Times, which cites US officials, the situation is even worse – this year, Ukraine will be able to use no more than 10 such fighters on the battlefield.
A key problem is the lack of trained pilots. According to US sources, only about 20 Ukrainian pilots are expected to be able to fly F-16s by the end of this year. Given that each aircraft requires at least two pilots, this limits the number of combat-ready aircraft to about 10.
F-16 for Ukraine
The United States has led the Ukrainian Air Force Development Capability Coalition in the management of F-16 multi-role fighters. The Netherlands and Denmark became co-chairs.
In August last year, Denmark and the Netherlands promised to provide Ukraine with 61 F-16 fighters. However, on 20 August 2023, after talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would receive a total of 42 American F-16s.
In order for the delivery to begin, it was necessary for Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel to be trained and for Ukraine to prepare the infrastructure. As reported by 
Although the first aircraft have already arrived, things will not move quickly in the future. Belgium plans to provide Ukraine with 30 aircraft by 2028.
In total, Ukraine has been promised more than a hundred F-16s, but at some point.
