First Norwegian F-16s for Ukraine could soon enter combat service
An F-16 fighter jet (Photo: Frontliner / Facebook)
The first Norwegian F-16 fighter jets transferred to Ukraine
could be operational soon, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on April 14.
Speaking at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Norway, Støre said the first of the six
aircraft Norway has formally transferred to Ukraine could soon be ready for
missions. The jets are still undergoing servicing in Belgium, and he did not
provide a timeline.
“These aircraft already belong to Ukraine. They are being
repaired and serviced by technicians in Belgium under an agreement involving
the United States and Ukraine. I think the first of these aircraft will soon be
ready to carry out missions,” the prime minister said.
He added that the six aircraft Norway transferred to Ukraine
required extensive repairs and preparation before they could join Ukraine’s Air
Force.
In August 2023, Støre said during a visit to Ukraine that
Norway would transfer six aircraft.
But several sources told NRK in April 2026 that two of the
fighter jets had already been in Belgium for repairs for more than a year. Four
other F-16s were unable to fly and were sent to the Belgian company Sabena in
disassembled form in April 2025.
The broadcaster reported that Sabena faces major capacity
constraints in servicing and preparing F-16s. That is believed to be the main
reason the Norwegian aircraft have still not arrived in Ukraine, the report
said.
In June 2025, Militarnyi, citing Norway’s annual report on
imports and exports of conventional arms, reported that Norway planned to
transfer 14 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, although only six had been officially
announced.
The report did not specify the condition of the eight
previously unannounced aircraft. Militarnyi suggested the “extra” planes might
be unfit to fly but could be used for spare parts or as decoys.
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