Norway could sell Romania 32 F-16 fighters worth $418m, but even after that it would still have planes for Ukraine

The US government has authorised Norway to sell F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets. The buyer is the Romanian Ministry of Defence.

Here's What We Know

At the end of last year, Romania signed a contract with Norway to buy 32 fourth-generation aircraft. The deal amounted to €388 million ($418 million). The fighters will undergo maintenance before shipment.

Earlier, the Scandinavian country ruled out cancelling the agreement to provide the F-16s to Ukraine. This was announced late last month by Jonas Gahr Store, Prime Minister of Norway.

Romania will be able to decommission Soviet-era MiG-21 jets thanks to the F-16s. At the same time, Norway retired its last F-16s last year. They will be replaced by fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters.

When it comes to assistance to Ukraine, in theory Norway has something to offer. The Scandinavian country has identified 57 F-16s as available for sale. The buyer for 12 fighters was Draken Internation, but deliveries have not yet been completed.

Source: Regjeringen