It doesn’t cost $100 million to train 30 Ukrainian fighter pilots

[mystery-ak]

July 17, 2022
It doesn’t cost $100 million to train 30 Ukrainian fighter pilots
By Anony Mee

Representative Adam Kinzinger (Rino-IL) introduced an amendment to H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for fiscal year 2023, that reduces by $100,000,000 operations and maintenance funding to the U.S. Air Force’s Flying Hour Program. That funding will instead go to a program touted as training Ukrainian pilots to fly our F-16s. The House passed the NDAA on Friday. I’m sure OpEds are in draft right now discussing both why this is crucial to our safety and security and why it’s a really bad idea. I would just like Congress to acknowledge the truth: that this is, de facto, their agreement to declare our full participation in the Ukraine war.

Yes, Ukraine has about 30 fighter pilots with sufficient English language skills to be trained to operate our military jets. Thomas Medwick over at The War Zone has a thorough article describing the thinking behind this plan.

Why do we need this extra $100 million on top of all the other funding headed their way? You remember H.R. 7691, the special appropriation for Ukraine from a couple of months ago? That contained $9 billion for military operations and maintenance including for things like training. Has that all been budgeted away? It certainly hasn’t been spent by now, not even a little bit.

more
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/07/it_doesnt_cost_100_million_to_train_30_ukrainian_fighter_pilots.html

[Smokin Joe]

It isn't a question of whether or not we should help Ukraine repel the invaders, but where the money is actually going.

If these pilots are already fighter pilots, then they should be well versed in the basics, i.e. they are fighter pilots.

Learning a new platform might take a little adaptation, but $3.3 million each is an awful lot of adaptation. If that is the tab, itemize it.

My concern with all this is the tremendous amount of money being thrown around, and whether that translates to actual weapons in hand.

[Fishrrman]

We've come to the point where we SHOULDN'T be helping the Ukranians any longer.
Enough is enough.

Time to take a heavy dose of sumthin' called "Realpolitik".

Tell the Ukranians to make their best deal with the Russians, or it will be made for them.
And yes, they ARE going to have to cede some territory to Russia.

Sorry if you don't like this post.

[Free Vulcan]

It probably costs less than a quarter mil.

The rest goes down dark rabbit holes and lines pockets.

[Hoodat]

Tell the Ukranians to make their best deal with the Russians, or it will be made for them.
And yes, they ARE going to have to cede some territory to Russia.

That's exactly what Ethiopia was told in 1936 and Czechoslovakia was told in 1938.

[libertybele]

It isn't a question of whether or not we should help Ukraine repel the invaders, but where the money is actually going.

If these pilots are already fighter pilots, then they should be well versed in the basics, i.e. they are fighter pilots.

Learning a new platform might take a little adaptation, but $3.3 million each is an awful lot of adaptation. If that is the tab, itemize it.

My concern with all this is the tremendous amount of money being thrown around, and whether that translates to actual weapons in hand.

My hunch is lots of pockets are being lined; Joe & Co. included.

[Smokin Joe]

My hunch is lots of pockets are being lined; Joe & Co. included.

Mine, too, which means only a relatively small fraction of all those dollars are reaching the front lines as weapons. Did the Polish MiGs ever get delivered?

[DefiantMassRINO]

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

We won't let Poland transfer old Soviet fighter jets to Ukraine for fear of making Vlad more mad, BUT, we will allow Ukranians to fly American F-16's?  But THAT won't make Vlad more mad?

... pass me the crack pipe.  I need to put my brain out of its misery.