The United States has granted Norway permission to transfer 22 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The transfer includes not only the aircraft, but also engines, support materials, simulators, spare parts, and other relevant equipment.
The information was first reported by the Argentinian website Zona Militar and later confirmed by Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen.
While Norway has 22 F-16 Block 10/15 airframes ready for transfer to Ukraine, not all of them are believed to be in fully operational condition, with some likely to be cannibalized to provide spare parts.
In December 2020, the Texas-based private military contractor Draken announced that it had acquired 12 of the former RNoAF F-16s to help provide training to the company’s customers. However, the deal seemingly fell through. Therefore, Nettavisen is speculating that at least 12 F-16 fighters transferred to Ukraine are combat-capable.
In August 2023, Denmark and the Netherlands announced the delivery of their respective F-16 fleets to Ukraine. Zona Militar reported that the two countries would provide 19 and 24 fighters respectively.
A few days later, it was revealed that Norway would follow suit. In late 2023, it transferred two F-16 trainers to Denmark from where Ukrainian pilots are to practice combat missions.
Norway’s transition to the F-35 Lightning II as the mainstay of its fighter fleet is well underway. With 24 F-35s already delivered and 10 in use for pilot training in the United States, the F-35s are poised to replace the F-16s entirely.
