Norway to support Ukrainian pilots training on F-16s

Norway will support the training and education of Ukrainian pilots and personnel on F-16 fighter jets. Source: NRK, citing Norway's Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram, as European Pravda reports  On Wednesday, the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Defence informed the parliament about the government's decision to support the training of Ukrainian pilots.

Quote: "Norway will consider various ways of facilitating the training and preparations of Ukrainian personnel on F-16 fighter jets," Gram said.

The United States and several European countries have indicated that they are positive about training Ukrainian personnel for the F-16. According to Gram, Norway's government has a positive attitude towards the initiative to create the so-called fighter jet coalition. "Together with allies and partners, Norway is now evaluating how we can contribute to the training," Gram said. Norway's F-16s were decommissioned last year after 42 years of service.

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In November of the same year, the government signed an agreement with Romania to sell 32 Norwegian F-16 fighter jets, but the planes are still in Norway. According to the Norwegian Armed Forces, they must undergo extensive modernisation before being transferred to Romania. At the same time, Norway signed a contract with Draken International to sell up to 12 F-16 aircraft for pilot training.

Both deals are subject to approval by the US and Norwegian authorities, and the process is still ongoing. Background: The day before, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated that his country was considering options to support a coalition of countries to train Ukrainian pilots in operating F-16 fighters. However, he mentioned that Berlin's possible contribution could be limited.

Last week, the United Kingdom announced the establishment of an international coalition of countries aimed at training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighters, including F-16s. The coalition already includes the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United States, and Portugal. Acting Minister of Defence of Denmark Troels Lund Poulsen said that Ukrainian pilots could start training on F-16 fighter jets in July.

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