London, Ontario and Ottawa, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – March 7, 2024) – The tactical training division of Canada’s International Test Pilots School (ITPS) is currently training two Ukrainian Air Force Officers on a Fighter Lead-in Programme in Southwest Ontario and have received a request to train 30 more students. The Ukrainian Air Force has submitted a formal request with Canada’s Department of National Defence to proceed with the training. Two Ukrainian pilot instructors began training in October 2023 and have forged a productive collaboration with the Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University (KNAFU) in Ukraine.
This fighter pilot training pipeline will be essential to ensure Ukrainian Air Force air superiority once new Western fighters are introduced.
ITPS and KNAFU have agreed on a dedicated syllabus for the university cadets who are awaiting the opportunity to complete Fighter Lead-In Training (FLIT) to NATO Phase IV standard. In addition, the programme includes 40 hours of F-16 simulator training and ground school to enable the students to readily adapt to the NATO-provided F-16 training. In the meantime, ITPS has been providing online English language training to the cadets at KNAFU whilst they await their departure to Canada.
“I am pleased to report that based on the successful program launch of the pilot instructors, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has submitted a formal request for the training of 30 cadets at ITPS to the Government of Canada. This programme is a customized training solution available right now that will provide Ukraine with 30 much needed fighter pilots by early 2025. I ask the Government of Canada to favourably consider the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence’s request and urgently approve this training,” said David Clementi, Chief Operating Officer of ITPS Canada.
ITPS’ tactical training programme has no impact on DND training or assets. This training is entirely provided by ITPS’s tactical training arm of their operations at their facilities in London, Ontario. KNAFU has further written to ITPS expressing a desire for long-term cooperation with advanced training programs not available at other institutions, including Mission Commander and Fighter Weapons Instructor Courses (FWIC) that ITPS has long provided to friendly countries since 2001.
ITPS’ training program for KNAFU cadets is complementary to NATO efforts to train Ukrainian fighter pilots on the F-16 adding another dimension of allied support to ensure that Ukraine is successful in the war against Russia, and ensuring a critical pipeline of new fighter pilots trained to Western standards ready to commence training on the F-16.
ITPS has the experience, proven syllabi, aircraft, instructors, and simulators, and this training is available now. ITPS Canada and its tactical training division the International Tactical Training Centre (ITTC) is a Canadian success story, as the world’s largest independent school of flight test training. ITPS is one of only eight schools of experimental flight test in the world recognized by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, currently providing training to the Royal Canadian Air Force, Australian Defence Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Belgian Air Component, German Armed Forces Flight Test Centre, and several allied industry partners. ITPS Canada recently passed a full audit for, and is registered under, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, Federal Contract Security Program, and the US DoD Joint Certification Program.
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Contact:
For more information regarding ITPS Canada and its tactical training division (ITTC), please contact ITPS Canada at press@ITPSCanada.com
To learn more about ITPS and ITTC visit www.itpscanada.com
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/200744