Norway also supplies F-16s
More and more fighter jet commitments for Ukraine
08/24/2023, 7:47 p.m
After months of wrangling, Denmark and the Netherlands have received the first commitments to deliver F-16s to Ukraine. Now a third country is following suit with Norway. Previously, Greece also offered pilot training.
Norway is the third European country to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr confirmed corresponding media reports during a surprise visit to Kiev on the occasion of the Ukrainian Independence Day. Gahr explained that more details about the number of fighter jets and the time frame for delivery would be communicated “in due course”.
The Norwegian news agency NTB reported, with reference to Prime Minister Gahr, that Oslo wanted to provide Kiev with between five and ten F-16 jets. When asked, his office would not confirm the report. In addition to delivering the F-16 fighter jets, Norway also said it would support Ukraine with Iris-T anti-aircraft systems, mine clearance equipment, and a 1.5 billion Norwegian krone ($150 million) aid package to buy gas and electricity for the winter to.
After Denmark and the Netherlands, Norway is the third country to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, 19 aircraft will come from Denmark and 42 from the Netherlands. The US government wants to allow the two countries to quickly transfer the planes and speed up applications for permits once the training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians is complete, a spokesman recently confirmed.
Greece had also offered Zelenskyj to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 jets. “We need Greece’s support in preparing our pilots for the F-16 planes,” he said after talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Ukraine launched a major counter-offensive in early June to recapture the territories occupied by Russia. Most recently, Kiev had admitted difficulties in advancing against the Russian units.