Norway will donate spare parts from its Sea King helicopters to Ukraine, helping the country support the operations and maintenance of choppers donated by Germany.
Berlin promised six helicopters to Ukraine earlier this year in support of Kyiv’s war efforts against Russia.
The UK also plans to donate three of the aircraft, whose spare parts are hard to find as the old platforms are being retired worldwide.
For Ukraine’s Coast Guard
“As co-chair of the Maritime Capability Coalition, Norway considers it important to ensure that Ukraine is able to build its Coast Guard and increase its maritime capabilities as rapidly as possible,” Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjorn Arild Gram said.
Norway replaced its Sea King fleet with Leonardo SAR Queen helicopters in 2023 after a service of 50 years.
The platform couldn’t be donated to Ukraine, as it reached its maximum number of flight hours.
Maritime Capability Coalition
The donation of spare parts is part of the UK-Norwegian Maritime Capability Coalition to bolster the Ukrainian Navy’s long-term capabilities and help it be more interoperable with NATO and western allies.
“The Black Sea and the maritime domain in general are of strategic importance to Ukraine, and are crucial to the country’s ability to export goods,” Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide said.
“The Maritime Capability Coalition is targeted towards the Ukrainian Naval Forces as a whole, and encompasses the full breadth of maritime capabilities, including the Ukrainian Coast Guard.
I am pleased that spare parts from our discarded Sea Kings can help make a difference for Ukraine, and facilitate the efforts to establish the Ukrainian Coast Guard.”