Israel trains 15 MiG-21 pilots for Uganda

ISRAEL has started training 15 Ugandan pilots expected to fly the MiG-21 fighter planes acquired in 1998, reports Yunusu Abbey. "Since they are still new in the airforce, they will start right from the basics to enable them master the techniques before they can qualify as pilots," said the source. Military sources said the trainees recently left for Tel Aviv where they will spend about a year on training. "The 15 trainees were part of the group recruited into the airforce last year. They spent over nine months training at the Singo military school and were passed out last year," the source said. The three Russian-built fighter planes were taken to Israel for remodelling. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) was expected to modify the planes' fire power, among other things. But sources said some Ugandan pilots had refused to fly the second-hand planes because they lack logbooks. Lt. Col. Joshua Masaba, the airforce director, was unavailable for comment. "Israel airforce experts were involved in the selection because they wanted to train people who are serious and determined to learn," said the source. This will be the first time Israel trains Ugandan pilots since President Yoweri Museveni came to power in 1986. In the 1970s, a number of Uganda army officers, mainly from the infantry, were trained in Israel Ends.