Ukrainian pilots in the early stages of fighter jet training are learning to fly without full GPS navigation — a combat skill taking on greater urgency as they prepare for heavy Russian electronic warfare on the battlefield.
The pilots are part of a training pipeline for the American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon, but they’re confronting the realities of electronic warfare from the very start. Even during a monthslong course in the UK focused on English and basic flight skills, they learn to operate without reliable GPS.
One of the Ukrainian trainee pilots, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, told Business Insider at their graduation event last week that learning to fly at low altitudes without relying entirely on GPS is “really important.”
Western pilots learn these skills as a backup plan, but for Ukraine, it’s an immediate necessity. Russian forces on the front lines are jamming navigation systems, so Ukrainian fighter pilots have to use maps or ground features for guidance, the trainee said.
They said the Ukrainians received instruction during the UK course, led by the Royal Air Force, on operating under heavy electronic warfare conditions and how to use notable terrain features, such as rivers and mountains, for guidance during training sorties.
Electronic warfare dominates the battlefield in Ukraine, with both sides jamming signals and disrupting navigation, communications, and weapons guidance systems.
The electronic warfare challenge has led to combat innovations, such as the development of jamming-resistant drones controlled by fiber-optic cables, as well as tactical changes for ground troops and airmen.
GPS jamming in particular has caused problems beyond the battlefield in Ukraine, especially in Eastern Europe, where NATO countries around the Baltic Sea have accused Russia of electronic interference that has disrupted comms in the air and at sea.
More than 50 Ukrainians have completed the RAF course, during which they get English-language and basic flight instruction at a UK base before progressing to more advanced fast-jet training in another country. Eventually, they’ll move to the American-made F-16.
Wing Cdr. Tom, the chief flying instructor for the UK training program, who could only be identified by his rank and first name for security reasons, said the Ukrainian pilots are “enthusiastic about learning new styles and techniques.”
The F-16 is among the most advanced jets Ukraine operates. Kyiv received its first batch in 2024, with a coalition of NATO allies pledging dozens to help modernize the country’s aging Soviet-era arsenal of older Sukhois and MiGs.
Ukraine has used its F-16s primarily for air defense — intercepting Russian missiles and drones during mass bombardments — and to conduct long-range precision strikes.
The UK began taking cohorts of future F-16 pilots roughly three years ago. RAF Air Chief Marshal Harvey Smyth told Business Insider at last week’s event that while the training at this stage is focused on the basics of flying, the Ukrainians still get a taste of what it’s like to operate fast jets and fighter pilot tactics.
“This is about building the foundation from where they’ll go further,” said Smyth, Britain’s Chief of the Air Staff.
RAF Flight Lt. Dayle, the elementary flying instructor, told Business Insider that the Ukrainian pilots demonstrated solid aircraft handling in the first 10 training sorties.
By the end of the course, they could take off in formation, split up, enter low-level flight, and execute simulated target runs, the instructor said. “The difference that you can see from the beginning to the end of the course is huge.”
A second Ukrainian trainee pilot told Business Insider they feel more confident facing the front lines back home due to the training they received in the UK, and are eager to eventually fly real combat missions in the F-16.
“We’ve been prepared for this, like, four years,” the pilot said.
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