The Norwegian Air Force’s fighter jet base in Bodø is situated only a few kilometers from the city centre. The inhabitants in the city are thus well used to jet plane noise. However, a recently published report about the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) reveals that JSF makes four times as much noise as the current fighter jet used by the Norwegian Air Force, the F16, according to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
The Norwegian Government decided earlier this year to order 48 Joint Strike Fighters. Most Norwegians thought the noise from JSF would be approximately the same as for F16. The recent discovery might force the Air Force to choose other locations than Bodø as main base for the Norwegian jet fighters.
If the noise is to intense for the citizens of Bodø, it might become a huge extra expense for the Air Force. The Air Force would then probably have to cover costs for extra insulation on houses and reduced market price on real estate.
For the Municipality of Bodø the Air Force base is very important, both for tax income and local activity. The Municipality has presented a plan to move the Air Force base further away from the city and almost into the ocean. If this is sufficient to reduce noise for the citizens of Bodø, is yet not known.
