Norway completes F‑35 fighter fleet, strengthens defense strategy
The latest batch of F-35 fighters has arrived in Norway, making the country the first partner in the F-35 program to receive all the aircraft it ordered.
“The F-35 is the world's best fighter jet and I am very pleased that we will receive the last of the 52 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin that Norway has ordered. The aircraft ensure that we can safeguard Norwegian sovereignty and maintain even better control over our areas on land, at sea and in the air,” said Tore O. Sandvik, the Norwegian Minister of Defense.
Norway with a full set of F-35 fighters
The F-35 is a fifth-generation multi-role fighter with stealth capabilities. Norway has opted for the F-35A variant, which features conventional takeoff and landing capability. It can reach speeds of up to approximately 1.6 Mach (about 1,243 mph) and operate at an altitude of up to 49,213 feet. The aircraft is designed for electronic warfare and can carry several tons of conventional weaponry, including missiles and bombs. It is equipped with a five-barrel GAU-22/A cannon with a caliber of 25 mm.
F-35 in an underground base
Norwegian authorities decided to purchase F-35 fighters back in 2008. With the arrival of these modern aircraft, they have been able to replace the aging F-16 jets. However, the old jets have not been scrapped and will continue to serve in NATO. 32 Norwegian F-16s have been sold to Romania.
As the Militarnyj portal notes, Norway previously operated mainly out of bases in Ørland and Evenes. In 2024, after a 40-year hiatus, the Bardufoss base in the far north (established in 1938) was reactivated and adapted for the F-35 fighters. Part of the Norwegian fleet has already been stationed there.
Bardufoss is a mountain base notable for its hangars carved into the rocks for aircraft. According to Norwegian authorities, it was reactivated due to the "changing security environment and analysis of the war in Ukraine."
