Norway transfers twice as many F-16 aircraft to Ukraine as officially promised

Norway has planned to transfer significantly more F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine than officially announced, according to the annual report on the import and export of conventional weapons, reports Militarnyi.

According to the document, Norway planned to provide our country with fourteen F-16 aircraft. Meanwhile, the delivery of only six fighters was officially announced. The delivery dates of the unannounced F-16s are currently unknown.

The report does not specify the condition of the eight additional aircraft. They are potentially unserviceable aircraft that could be used for training technical personnel, dismantling for parts, or as decoys.

This version is partially consistent with previous statements by the Norwegian government about the transfer of only combat-ready fighters decommissioned in 2021. However, it cannot be ruled out that some of the unannounced F-16s have been repaired and brought into a serviceable condition.

In addition to the F-16, the report also mentions the transfer to our country of 20 German-made Dingo 2 armored vehicles and two Norwegian NM189 engineering vehicles, which are based on the Leopard 1 tank.

In May 2025, Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik stated that the country would deliver all of the promised F-16 fighters to Ukraine by the end of 2025. He noted that some of the aircraft had already been delivered, and the rest were intended to be delivered by the end of the year.

In the summer of 2024, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Ukraine would receive six F-16 fighter jets from the country.