Norway has announced that it is sending to Ukraine 22 F16 fighter jets with 12 fully combat-capable Nettavisen newspaper revealed on Friday.
According to the details, the other 10 planes are not airworthy and may require substantial overhauls of their airframes.
Engines, auxiliary materials, simulators, spare parts and other relevant equipment would be included in the donation, the article said.
Other reports said the planes would be a mix of single-seat fighter jets and twin-seat fighter/trainer jets.
The Norwegian Air Force, in January 2022, retired its fleet of Lockheed Martin-manufactured F-16 fighters after 30 years of operation.
According to operators, the F16 is a fourth-generation jet manufactured since the 1970s.
The F-16 models Ukraine will receive from Norway will have been upgraded with 2000s-era electronics and sensors, making them technologically superior to any aircraft operated by the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Kremlin’s most advanced fighters – particularly the Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets – are equipped with radars and other sensors superior to the electronics aboard the F-16s Ukraine is on track to receive.
That edge could give Russian pilots, in those aircraft, a powerful first-shot advantage in detecting and firing on a Ukrainian pilot in an F-16.
Netherlands has announced it would provide to Ukraine up to 42 F-16 fighters, like Norway’s, being retired after decades of use. Denmark has promised 19 aircraft.
According to Ukrainian mil-bloggers, the first six F-16s with pilots and ground crew will reach Ukraine in June or July. Earlier deadlines had predicted the arrival in April or May.
