How many combat-ready F-16s can Ukraine get from Norway?

Defense Express information and consulting company writes about this.

Last year, Norway joined the so-called "coalition" of fighter jets as part of the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine, and in early January of this year it became known that Norway was transferring two F-16s for training Ukrainian pilots. As for how many aircraft the country plans to transfer to the Ukrainian Air Force, the media reported that the number of aircraft varied from 5 to 10.

At the same time, Nettavisen says that there may be more than two dozen of them, citing a Zona Militar article that says the United States has authorized the transfer of 65 F-16 multifunctional fighters to Ukraine - 19 from Denmark, 24 from the Netherlands, and 22 more from Norway.

In addition to the aircraft themselves, Norway is also to donate engines, auxiliary equipment, test benches, necessary tools, maintenance materials, simulators, spare parts, technical documentation, etc. It is also mentioned that Norway has formed a core group of instructors to support Denmark's efforts in the Aviation Coalition.

According to Nettavisen, they "have received confirmation that this is true," but not all of these 22 fighters are likely fully operational - some of them may indeed be unfit for flight, but will still be needed, for example, as donors of spare parts for other aircraft.

However, the publication suggests that at least 12 aircraft may be combat-ready - those that Norway had previously planned to sell to the American company Draken International. "These aircraft are airworthy and still in Norway," the report said.

Defense Express reminds that Norway has chosen the fifth generation F-16 aircraft to replace its F-16 fleet, with an order for 52 units worth approximately $10 billion. Earlier, the company told how the Norwegian Ministry of Defense miscalculated the costs of the F-35, which turned out to be much more expensive. In addition, the delay in the delivery of the F-35 to European countries is becoming increasingly threatening, and this could affect the transfer of the F-16 to Ukraine.

At the same time, it is not yet known when the Norwegian F-16s will be ready to perform combat missions in the skies over Ukraine. "There are many signs that there will be no aircraft donated by Norway in Ukraine's airspace before the July NATO summit in Washington," the publication notes.