Dear mistake: The British “Sky News” network reported this morning (Wednesday) that the Kingdom purchased more than 20 F-35 aircraft, which are considered the most advanced in the world, but there are not enough qualified pilots to fly them, when each aircraft cost about 115 million dollars. British Defense Secretary, Ben Wallaceaddressed the claim and stated that “the problem stems from problems in the training system.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense emphasized that “the lack of qualified pilots in the field is a big challenge”. According to him, “the advanced planes are still new, and this means that training for pilot training takes time.” Wallace’s words come after the British Ministry of Defense officially announced its desire to purchase the fighter jets from the US, already in 2006.
In addition, the Minister of Defense admitted that the training program for the British pilots is facing delays, since the long program is spread over eight years, although the allotted target time is only between two and three years. As a result, Wallace ordered the commander of the British Air Force to make the issue of pilot training a priority, already three years ago, but according to the investigation, the crisis in the Air Force is still ongoing. At the same time, it was reported that Britain asked the US to purchase 138 additional F-35 aircraft.