Extensive Training Activity in the High North With US Carrier Strike Group The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has recently been training with Norwegian and other allied forces off the coast of Northern Norway. "Our partnership with US forces is close despite changes in US security policy," says the Chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.
Norway's Minister of Defense: The Establishment of the NATO Air Operations Centre Is on Track Bodø, Northern Norway (High North News): The temporary premises of NATO's third Combined Air Operations Center will be ready at the Armed Forces' base in Bodø already in October. Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik commends the progress.
NATO Air Operations Centre to be Located in Norway: MoD Visits Northern Candidate Bodø (High North News): The Norwegian MoD, Tore O. Sandvik, says both Norwegian cities Bodø and Rygge have what it takes to make NATO's third Combined Air Operations Centre work. During a visit to the North, he specified that major investments would be made whether Bodø or Rygge received the allocation.
Norway’s Navy Chief: ‘High North, Low Tension’ Depends on Our Own Capability At Sea Norway’s government recently launched major investments in the country's naval forces. This will increase important Norwegian presence in the North vis-á-vis Russia, maintains Navy Chief Oliver Berdal. “We must be able to safeguard our maritime interests on an independent basis,” he says.
Changes in the Norwegian Air Force – Prepares for Increased Nordic Cooperation in the North On Thursday, all command and control departments in the Norwegian Air Force were merged into a Joint Air Operations Center partly located in Northern Norway. "We can soon take on a leading role in planning and coordinating of air operations for NATO in the North," says the Air Force Chief.
From Sea King to SAR Queen: It Will Mean A Lot for Us in the North After nearly fifty years of service along the mountains and coast of Nordland, Northern Norway, the rescue helicopter Sea King will now be replaced by the SAR Queen. In terms of preparedness, the change is a milestone for the people in Nordland, says Captain Remi Olsen at the 330 Squadron in Bodø.
The Norwegian Armed Forces Will Keep Shelters for Fighters in Northern Norway A lacking ability for allied reception is one key point in the latest Norwegian defense white paper. The former Bodø Air Base for fighters, which is to be converted to civilian use, will still have capacity for receiving and protecting military aircraft, says a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces.
