Along with the F-16 fighters promised by Norway, Ukraine will receive a total of 79 Western combat aircraft.
Norway has officially announced the transfer of six F-16 fighters to Ukraine. The first aircraft could be sent this year.
VG writes about this.
“Ukraine's ability to defend itself from air attacks is crucial in its defensive fight against Russia. Norway has decided to transfer six F-16 fighters to Ukraine. We hope to begin the transfer of aircraft as early as 2024,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Støre first announced that Norway was planning to transfer American-made fighters to Ukraine back in August last year during a visit to Kiev. However, at that time he did not name either the number of aircraft or the expected timing of their delivery to Ukraine.
Other F-16 coalition countries – Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium – have promised to donate significantly more combat aircraft to Ukraine than Norway. Denmark will donate 19 aircraft, the Netherlands has promised 24, and Belgium recently announced that its contribution will be 30 aircraft.
Norway has abandoned its F-16 combat aircraft in 2021 due to the gradual introduction of new F-35 fighters into service. But according to the Norwegian government, 32 F-16 fighters of the Norwegian Air Force have been sold to Romania.
The publication notes that the first fighters could be transferred to Ukraine this summer.
“Both President Zelensky and Foreign Minister Kuleba have repeatedly expressed great gratitude to Norway for its support for air defense and made it clear that fighter jets are an extremely important contribution to the defense of freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Bart Eide. < /p>
Presumably, not all aircraft transferred to Ukraine will be immediately transferred to its territory. Some of them will probably remain on the territory of neighboring countries in order to protect them from the bombing of the Russian aggressor.
At the same time, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has already threatened the West that Russia will consider Ukrainian aircraft beyond its borders for their “legitimate purposes.”
A small number of Ukrainian pilots are now completing their training program in Denmark. In the future, training of Ukrainian pilots will probably be carried out by Romania.
As Ukraine gains more trained pilots and support personnel, F-16 coalition members will provide it with more fighters, according to Spanish Defense Minister Björn Arild Gram.
The publication also notes that with the beginning of the use of F-16 fighters in the war in Ukraine and the increase in their number, the need for weapons for them will also increase. 11 countries will jointly meet this need: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Great Britain and Norway.
Let us recall that, according to Anatoly Khrapchinsky, Russia does not have 5th generation aircraft that could withstand modern American F-16 fighters. Therefore, the aggressor will most likely avoid direct air combat.
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