Sterre made a positive forecast about Norwegian F-16s for Ukraine
Norway has already delivered the promised F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, the planes are still undergoing repairs.
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, this was stated by Norwegian Prime Minister Gar Sterre during a press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Read also: Promised but not delivered: who is “stalling” the supply of F-16s to Ukraine
According to Sterre, Norway provided Ukraine with aircraft that had not been in service with the Norwegian military for a long time, as the country has been using the latest F-35s for several years now.
Therefore, in order for Ukrainian soldiers to begin using the Norwegian F-16s, they need to be repaired and prepared.
The Prime Minister noted that other countries supplying F-16s to Ukraine transferred them directly from their combat fleet so that Ukrainian pilots could use them more quickly.
“Now they belong to Ukraine, and they are being repaired and prepared for operation by Belgian technical specialists as part of an agreement also made with the U.S. and Ukraine. I believe that the first of these aircraft will be ready for operation soon, but they are already part of the Ukrainian Air Force,” Sterre emphasized.
Rumors about Norwegian F-16s
Recall that earlier NRK reported that six F-16 fighter jets, which Norway officially transferred to Ukraine’s ownership in 2024-2025, are still not involved in combat tasks.
All the planes are in the repair shops of Sabena in Belgium due to unsatisfactory technical conditions and a lack of capacity for their maintenance.
Amid expectations of enhanced air defense, it was revealed that four aircraft were delivered to Belgium in disassembled condition, as they could not take off on their own.
According to experts, the planes lack about 100 key parts, and the process of assembly and modernization may take another year.
