Norway will donate six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, writes the Verdens Gang (VG) daily today, citing the Norwegian Prime Minister who is participating in the NATO summit in Washington.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2024, Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stere said, according to Verdens Gang.
Which countries will “contribute”
Note that in early May, a high-ranking Ukrainian military source reported that Ukraine had requested US-made F-16 fighter jets to help it counter Russia’s air superiority during more than two years of war.
The source did not say which country would supply the aircraft.
However, so far, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have committed to sending F-16s to Ukraine.
The pilots are ready
Air Force spokesman Ilya Yevlas said some Ukrainian pilots are completing training to fly warplanes.
Pilots and ground personnel have been trained by Ukraine’s Western partners for months.
Ukraine’s military has been forced to rely on a relatively small fleet of Soviet-era aircraft as it struggles to contain Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian officials see the addition of the F-16s as a vital upgrade for the country’s air force.
AMP Source