Norway said it will increase its role in supplying long‑range missiles and providing maintenance for Ukraine's Falcon fighter jets. Last year Norway became the first country in the JSF program to receive the final of its 52 F‑35A aircraft, completing its fleet and retiring its F‑16s. It subsequently sold its best Falcon jets – 32 aircraft – to Romania, keeping only a small number (six) as spare parts that could be transferred to Ukraine through intermediaries.
Ukraine’s current Falcon fleet consists of 24 aircraft from the Netherlands, up to 19 from Denmark by the end of the year, and seven from Belgium, of which only three are operational. After three recent crashes, the Ukrainian Air Force expects to have 43 F‑16s by year‑end, including 8 older airframes used for training, non‑operational duties and spare parts to sustain the aging fleet.
The post also described a Ukrainian Falcon equipped with two C‑type missiles, two Sidewinders, two 370‑gallon fuel tanks and eight Small Diameter Bombs (2×4 on a BRU‑61 rack), plus an ALQ‑131 jammer to enhance survivability and safety during bomb delivery.