In the future Norway might have no fighter jets stationed in the northern part of the country, if the recommendations from chief of Norwegian defence, General Harald Sunde, are heard.
The Norwegian F16 fighter jet base is today located in Bodø in northern Norway and in Ørlandet in southern Norway. When the €7 billion F35 fighter jets investment is in operation around 2020, General Sunde recommends locating all of them at Ørlandet outside Trondheim in mid Norway.
Shut down
This would mean that the current air base in Bodø will be shut down. The recommendation has been met with huge protests, especially from the northern parts of Norway. With an Air Force base on Ørlandet in sourthern Norway, the Norwegian fighter jets will not be able to reach the northeastern parts of Norway in one mission. At the same time the High North is considered one of the Norwegian Government’s main political priorities.
One of the Norwegian Air Force main jobs is to control military air traffic around the coast of Norway, especially to have an overview of the Russian Air Force traffic in the Barents Sea. According to the Norwegian Ministry of Defense this activity has decreased over the last years. The Norwegian Air Force says on the contrary that the Russian traffic has increased and will probably increase even more in the years to come.
A third location
However, the disagreements does not stop here, because a second location in northern Norway has been launched. Evenes airfield outside Harstad in Troms County is suggested as a third possibility and the county board of Troms supports this location.This has triggered a debate between the two North Norway counties of Nordland and Troms.
Even though the Chief of Defence has recommended Ørlandet for the new fighter jet base, the final decision is up to the Norwegian Government. State Secretary Roger Ingebrigtsen in the Ministry of Defense said this week that they are far from a conclusion and are still evaluating the different options.
- No matter which decision we take, the Norwegian Air Force will still be present in the High North performing all duties as normal, says Ingebrigtsen to newspaper Aftenposten.
