Moonfish
Nickname(s)Moonfish (Мунфіш)
AllegianceUkraine Ukraine
Service/branch Ukrainian Air Force
Battles/warsRusso-Ukrainian War

Moonfish is a Ukrainian military pilot of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Biography

As of June 2022, Moonfish was the commander of a squadron of Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters.[1]

In August 2023, Moonfish started a training course in the United Kingdom with plans to eventually fly an F-16.[2]

Advocacy efforts

In June 2022, Moonfish visited the US with another Ukrainian pilot, call sign Juice, to lobby for F-16s for Ukraine.[3] They met with several US lawmakers and explained which modern weapons systems were needed most in Ukraine.[4] Sean Penn accompanied the pilots in some of the meetings, to amplify their message.[5] The pilots met with Adam Kinzinger in his office in Washington, D.C.[6] As a result, Kinzinger introduced the «Ukraine Fighter Pilots Act» to the United States House of Representatives on June 17, 2022. The bill was cosponsored by other congressmembers.[7][8][9][10]

F-16 involvement

After months of advocacy to ensure F-16s for Ukraine, Moonfish was among the first Ukrainian pilots to start F-16 training in the US. He gave an extensive interview to Ukrainain TV describing the process.[11] In the Fall of 2023, his training advanced from a simulator cockpit to actual F-16 airframes.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "F-16 мають замінити втрачені українські винищувачі". Ukrmilitary. 2022-06-22.
  2. ↑ Ілля Нежигай (2023-08-20). "При відборі враховували вік, досвід та знання англійської: пілот ЗСУ розповів про навчання на F-16". Факти.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Kimberly (June 27, 2022). "Ukrainian Pilots Visit U.S. To Lobby for Fighter Jets". Flying Magazine.
  4. ↑ McFall, Caitlin (June 24, 2022). "Top Gun Ukrainian pilots push US for jets, senator says lawmakers will 'press the case' with White House". Fox News.
  5. ↑ "Sean Penn helps Ukrainian fighter pilots lobby for US aid". MSN. June 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Air Force has selected a group of pilots to train with Western fighter jets". Militarnyi. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  7. ↑ Gillespie, Maura (2022-06-17). "Kinzinger & Houlahan Introduce Ukraine Fighter Pilots Act". kinzinger.house.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-06-17.
  8. ↑ Kinzinger, Adam (2022-06-16). "To authorize appropriations to provide assistance and training to Ukrainian pilots, and for other purposes" (PDF). kinzinger.house.gov (bill). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-06-17.
  9. ↑ Kinzinger, Adam (2022-06-17). "H.R.8144 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Ukrainian Fighter Pilots Act". congress.gov.
  10. ↑ Malyasov, Dylan (2022-06-23). "Congressmen introduce bill to train Ukrainian fighter pilots". Defence Blog.
  11. ↑ "First Ukrainain Pilot on F-16 (TV interview transcript)". novynarnia.com. September 29, 2023.
  12. ↑ Markina-Tarasova, Daria (November 20, 2023). "A 'Swiss Army knife' for the skies: Ukrainian army pilot races to get to grips with F-16 jet". CNN.
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