OSLO — Norway has determined to donate F-16 fight plane to Ukraine for its battle in opposition to Russia’s invasion, Norwegian broadcaster TV2 reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
TV2 didn’t say what number of jets Norway would supply.
The Norwegian international ministry didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark.
If confirmed, Norway would grow to be the third nation—after the Netherlands and Denmark—to announce donations of US-made F-16 jets to Ukraine.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Thursday and introduced donations of anti-aircraft missiles and different tools, however made no announcement concerning F-16s.
F-16s have been on Ukraine’s want checklist for a very long time due to their damaging energy and international availability. The plane is supplied with a 20mm cannon and may carry bombs, rockets and missiles.
Many NATO allies have F-16s—initially designed within the Seventies—making it simpler to seek out spare components in contrast with the Russian planes at the moment utilized by Ukraine.
Last yr, the Norwegian air drive retired its fleet of 57 F-16s and later agreed to promote 32 of then to NATO ally Romania in what Stoere has stated was a “fixed and settled” deal.
An extra 12 plane are attributable to be offered to a personal firm offering coaching for the US Air Force, though this deal has but to obtain ultimate approval and a few analysts have stated these jets might be appropriate for a donation to Ukraine.
Of the 13 remaining F-16s, the Norwegian protection ministry stated final yr many had been too expensive or onerous to restore and is likely to be positioned in a museum, used for components or despatched for scrapping.
Norway has changed its F-16s with the successor mannequin F-35. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
