After 42 years of service, in a historic milestone, F-16s were replaced by F-35 Lightning IIs for Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions in defense of Norwegian and NATO skies.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force reported that it now has two F-35s that, from the Evenes base, are capable of taking off within 15 minutes of receiving an alert, to intercept any suspicious flights.
«The F-35 has now taken over with a 24-hour guard. This is a great day and I am very happy. So far it has been a successful introduction of the new fighter aircraft, thanks to many dedicated and skilled people in the Air Force and our partners,» commented Major General Rolf Folland, Chief of the Norwegian Air Force.
The F-16 A/B MLU, in the process of being decommissioned, however, is very well maintained and modernized, making them extremely attractive on the international market, being contractor Draken the first customer to buy a dozen of these noble fighters to be used for military training in the U.S. Additionally, Romania is currently in the process of negotiation to acquire the remaining 32 units to reinforce its Air Force.
On guard from Evenes
The F-35 has now taken over the so-called Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission, which for 42 years was handled by F-16s operating from the Bodø base. But the F-35 will perform this task from the newly built Evenes.
On behalf of NATO, Norway performs the mission, QRA on behalf of NATO, for its area of responsibility. This responsibility means that Norway must have two F-35s on alert 24 hours a day. If an unknown aircraft approaches Norwegian and NATO airspace, the F-35s depart from Evenes and are airborne within 15 minutes.
The Royal Air Force control and warning center then direct fighter jets against the unidentified flight. Norwegian fighter jets will then intercept and identify what type of aircraft they are and where they are coming from.
The history of the F-35 in Norway
In 2015, Norwegian personnel settled at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona (USA), along with the first Norwegian F-35A aircraft. There, the training of technical staff and pilots on the new weapon system began.
Back in November 2017, the first Norwegian F-35 landed in Norway, at Ørland Airport. The F-35 retrofit started immediately with operational testing and evaluation, precisely to be ready to be able to be in QRA from Evenes in 2022.
The F-35 system was also deployed at Rygge Airport in 2019, and they served on two overseas assignments, in charge of Icelandic air surveillance, in 2020 and 2021. Another milestone was reached in the fall of 2021 when eight F-35s trained from Evenes Airport on the QRA mission.
The development of Lightning II capabilities in Norway continues until the next major event when in 2025 the F-35 will reach full operational capability. In turn, work will continue on a daily basis to enhance the Norwegian F-35’s collaborative capabilities with allied Armed Forces and to bring out the full potential of the weapon system.
Evenes Air Base
Evenes will be the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s most important base in the north, as an advanced base for the F-35 and the main base for the P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft. For the Air Force, the F-35 and P-8 are two extremely important capabilities that are now brought together at Evenes and make a strong contribution to Norway’s defense.
At Evenes, the Air Force also has an air defense battalion and a ground defense squadron, both of which are tasked to protect the airport. In addition, several support functions for the Armed Forces have been established at Evenes. In 2025, about 500 employees and 300 enlisted personnel will work at the base.
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