Shillong, August 25: Norway has become the third European nation, after Denmark and the Netherlands, to pledge support to Ukraine by offering F-16 fighter jets.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced the donation, stating that further details regarding the number of jets and the delivery schedule will be disclosed later.
Norway’s initial commitment, made in May, was to assist in training Ukrainian personnel on F-16 fighter jets as part of efforts to bolster the country’s modern air defense system.
“We are planning to donate Norwegian F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, and will provide further details about the donation, numbers and time frame for delivery in due course,” CNN quoted Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store as saying on Thursday.
Norway had first announced its plans to support the training of Ukrainian personnel on F-16 fighter jets in May.
“Norway is supporting Ukraine in its efforts to build a modern air defense system. This is both important and necessary,” the Prime Minister added.
Last week, the US State Department approved the transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine, contingent on Ukrainian pilots’ completion of training. While Denmark and the Netherlands have taken the lead in pilot training, the US is exploring options with other nations for additional F-16 provisions to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Both Denmark and the Netherlands possess operational F-16s, with Denmark preparing to upgrade its fleet and the Dutch planning to replace theirs with more advanced aircraft. An 11-member coalition of Ukraine’s Western allies is set to initiate pilot training later this month, aiming to have Ukrainian pilots fully operational by the following year.