No F-16 Fighters Promised by Norway Have Arrived in Ukraine Yet

In August 2023, during his visit to Kyiv, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced his country's intention to transfer six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, as of now, none of these aircraft have reached Ukrainian territory, which has sparked worries among Ukrainian military personnel and defense analysts.

According to information obtained from several anonymous sources who shared data with NRK, none of the six promised F-16 fighters have been delivered to Ukraine. Two of these jets were previously used for training Ukrainian pilots in Denmark but are currently undergoing repairs in Belgium, where they have been for over a year.

The other four F-16 fighters that were sent from Norway were not operational at the time of their dispatch. They were delivered in parts, packed in boxes, via a transport aircraft in April 2025. All these aircraft are also located in the same workshop of the Sabena company in Belgium, where their maintenance is being conducted.

NRK reports that there are serious issues with the capacity for servicing and preparing F-16 aircraft at the Sabena workshop in Belgium. This has become the primary reason for the delay in delivering the Norwegian fighters to Ukraine. The volume of work required to prepare the four aircraft is substantial, and according to a consultant for the Ukrainian army, it will take approximately a year to complete their preparation if Sabena begins work immediately.

“The four aircraft that were delivered in boxes to Sabena in Belgium are missing about 100 parts each. Therefore, assembling them will take a considerable amount of time,” noted the consultant, who wished to remain anonymous.

Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik confirmed that the aircraft are still in the workshop in Belgium. He stated, “The planes are currently being prepared at the Sabena company in Belgium. It is Ukraine, in consultation with donor countries, that sets the priorities at Sabena, including the preparation of new aircraft and the maintenance of aircraft already in use in Ukraine.”

Sandvik also reported that ownership of the aircraft was transferred from Norway to Ukraine in 2024 and 2025. At the same time, he acknowledged that the best F-16 fighters available at the time Norway ceased operations of its F-16s were transferred to Romania rather than Ukraine.

“The 32 aircraft that were in the best condition, along with repair equipment and spare parts, were subsequently sold to Romania under an agreement to support an allied country in strengthening NATO in Southern Europe,” stated the Norwegian Defense Minister. This situation has raised concerns among Ukrainian military officials who had hoped for a swift delivery of the promised fighters to bolster their air forces in the context of the ongoing conflict.