Norway boosts Ukraine's air power with £98m aid package
Norway has announced an additional support package valued at £98 million and the delivery of the first promised aircraft by the end of 2024. Here is what Norway will deliver.
Norway, along with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, has decided to transfer its F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence has stated that the first aircraft will arrive in Ukraine this year, allocating an additional £98 million to purchase weapons and spare parts.
Oslo has declared a total transfer of 22 aircraft, 12 of which will be operational, while the remaining 10 will serve as a repository for spare parts. Additional funds may enhance this equipment ratio.
Norwegian F-16 aircraft for Ukraine
Norway acquired its aircraft alongside the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium in the 1970s. These were the F-16A/B variant (single-seat and two-seat), which received the Mid-Life Update (MLU) package in the 1990s, upgrading them to the capabilities of the F-16C/D Block 50/52 variant.
The package included repairs and upgrades to avionics and radar systems, enabling the use of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles with a range of up to roughly 100 kilometres, depending on the version.
It is worth noting that the aircraft are further modified before being sent to Ukraine to enhance their performance. The extent of these modifications is not disclosed, but in addition to being integrated with specialised weapons such as AGM-88 HARM missiles, ADM-160B MALD decoys, AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, or JDAM-ER bombs, the F-16s may also have modified AN/APG-66 or AN/APG-68 radars and are equipped with targeting pods such as the AN/ASQ-213 HTS or similar.
Moreover, these modifications also include the removal of NATO-restricted systems such as the identification friend or foe (IFF) system and the Link-16 tactical information system, which provides encrypted, real-time communication with other aircraft.
Preparations for F-16 shipment
Before handing over the aircraft to Ukraine, the work carried out included, for instance, the removal of NATO-restricted systems such as the identification friend or foe (IFF) system and various modifications to enhance the aircraft's performance. It is possible that significant improvements were made to the AN/APG-66 and AN/APG-68 radar parameters, or perhaps even the newer AN/APG-83 SABR was installed.
Meanwhile, additional funding will allow the aircraft to be equipped with, among other things, a greater stock of 20mm ammunition for M61 cannons and Mk 82/83/84 series bombs weighing approximately 230 kg, 450 kg, and 910 kg, respectively. These ammunitions form the basis for guided JDAM-ER variants, AGM-65 Maverick anti-tank missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, or AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.
