| Royal Norwegian Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Luftforsvaret | |
 Badge of the Royal Norwegian Air Force | |
| Founded | 10 November 1944; 81 years ago (1944-11-10) |
| Country |  Norway |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Norway |
| Type | Air force |
| Role | Aerial warfare |
| Size |
|
| Part of | Norwegian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Rygge Air Station |
| Mottos |
|
| Website | forsvaret |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief |  Harald V |
| Prime Minister | Jonas Gahr Støre |
| Minister of Defence |  Tore.O.Sandvik |
| Chief of Defence |  GeneralEirik Kristoffersen |
| Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force | Major General Øivind Gunnerud |
| Command Sergeant Major of the Royal Norwegian Air Force | Chief Master Sergeant Didrik Sand |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |   |
| Ensign |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F-35A |
| Helicopter | AW101,Bell 412 |
| Patrol | P-8 Poseidon |
| Trainer | Saab Safari |
| Transport | C-130J-30 |
TheRoyal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) (Norwegian:Luftforsvaret,lit. 'The Air Defence') is theair force ofNorway. It was established as a separate arm of theNorwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees (officers, enlisted staff and civilians). 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF. Aftermobilization, the RNoAF would consist of approximately 5,500 personnel.
The infrastructure of the RNoAF includes sevenairbases (atØrland,Rygge,Andøya,Evenes,Bardufoss,Bodø, andGardermoen). It also has one control and reporting centre (inSørreisa Municipality) and three training centres: Værnes inStjørdal Municipality (about 32.7 kilometres (20.3 mi) northeast ofTrondheim), Kjevik inKristiansand Municipality, and at KNM Harald Haarfagre/Madlaleiren inStavanger Municipality.
Military flights started on 1 June 1912. The first plane,HNoMS Start, was bought with money donated by the public and piloted byHans Dons, second in command of Norway's firstsubmarine HNoMSKobben (A-1).[2] Until 1940 most of the aircraft belonging to the Navy and Army air forces were domestic designs or built under license agreements, the main bomber/scout aircraft of the Army air force being the Dutch-originatedFokker C.V.
 |
| Components |
|---|
| Army Navy (Coast Guard) Air Force Home Guard Cyber Defence Force |
| Ranks |
| Norwegian military ranks |
| Bugle calls |
| Bugle calls of the Norwegian Army |
| Armed Forces equipment |
| Army equipment Naval ships (active) Norwegian military aircraft |
Before 1944, the Air Force were divided into theNorwegian Army Air Service (Hærens Flyvevaaben) and theRoyal Norwegian Navy Air Service (Marinens Flyvevaaben).
In the late 1930s, as war seemed imminent, more modern aircraft were bought from abroad, including twelveGloster Gladiator fighters from the UK, and sixHeinkel He 115s fromGermany. Considerable orders for aircraft were placed with United States companies during the months prior to the invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940.
The most important of the US orders were two orders for comparatively modernCurtiss P-36 Hawkmonoplane fighters. The first was for 24 Hawk 75A-6 (with 1200hpPratt & WhitneyR-1830-SC3-G Twin Wasp engines), 19 of which were delivered before the invasion. Of these 19, though, none were operational when the attack came. A number were still in their shipping crates in Oslo harbour, while others stood at theKjeller aircraft factory, flight ready, but none combat ready. Some of the Kjeller aircraft had not been fitted with machine guns, and those that had been fitted still lackedgun sights.
The ship with the last five 75A-6s that were bound for Norway was diverted to the United Kingdom, where they were taken over byRoyal Air Force (RAF). All 19 Norwegian P-36s that were captured by the German invaders were later sold by the German authorities to theFinnish Air Force, which was to use them to good effect during theContinuation War.
The other order for P-36s was for 36 Hawk 75A-8 (with 1200 hpWright R-1820-95 Cyclone 9 engines), none of which were delivered in time for the invasion, but were delivered to "Little Norway" near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There they were used for training Norwegian pilots until theUSAAF took over the aircraft and used them under the designation P-36G.
Also ordered prior to the invasion were 24Northrop N-3PBfloat planes built in on Norwegian specifications for apatrol bomber. The order was made on 12 March 1940 in an effort to replace the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service's obsolete MF.11 biplane patrol aircraft. None of the type were delivered by 9 April and when they became operational with the330 (Norwegian) Squadron in May 1941 they were stationed atReykjavík,Iceland performinganti-submarine andconvoy escort duties.
The unequal situation led to the rapid defeat of the Norwegian air forces, even though seven Gladiators from the fighter wing (Jagevingen) defendedFornebu airport against the attacking German forces with some success—claiming twoBf 110 heavy fighters, twoHe 111 bombers and oneJunkers Ju 52 transport.Jagevingen lost two Gladiators to groundstrafing while they were rearming on Fornebu and one in the air, shot down by FutureExperteHelmut Lent, injuring the sergeant pilot. After the withdrawal of allied forces, the Norwegian Government ceased fighting in Norway and evacuated to theUnited Kingdom on 10 June 1940.
Only aircraft of the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service had the range to fly all the way from their last remaining bases inNorthern Norway to the UK. Included amongst the Norwegian aircraft that reached the British Isles were four German-made Heinkel He 115 seaplane bombers, six of which were bought before the war and two more were captured from the Germans during theNorwegian Campaign. One He 115 also escaped to Finland before the surrender of mainland Norway, as did threeM.F. 11s; landing on Lake Salmijärvi inPetsamo. A capturedArado Ar 196 originating from the Germanheavy cruiserAdmiral Hipper was also flown to Britain for testing.
For the Norwegian Army Air Service aircraft the only option for escape was Finland, where the planes would be interned but at least not fall into the hands of the Germans. In all two Fokker C.V.s and onede Havilland Tiger Moth made it across the border and onto Finnish airfields just before the capitulation of mainland Norway. All navy and army aircraft that fled to Finland were pressed into service with theFinnish Air Force,[3] while most of the aircrew eventually ended up in "Little Norway".
The Army and Navy air services established themselves in Britain under the command of theJoint Chiefs of Staff. Norwegian air and ground crews operated as part of the BritishRoyal Air Force, in both wholly Norwegian squadrons and also in other squadrons and units such asRAF Ferry Command andRAF Bomber Command. In particular, Norwegian personnel operated two squadrons ofSupermarine Spitfires: RAF 132 (Norwegian) Wing consisted ofNo. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron andRAF No. 332 (Norwegian) Squadron. Both planes and running costs were financed by the exiled Norwegian government.
In the autumn of 1940, a Norwegian training centre known as "Little Norway" was established next toToronto Island Airport, Canada.
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The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) was established by aroyal decree on 1 November 1944, thereby merging the Army and Navy air forces. No. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron defended London from 1941 and was the highest scoring fightersquadron inSouth England during the war.
Up until 8 May 1945, 335 persons had lost their lives while taking part in the efforts of the RNoAF.
After the war the Spitfire remained in service with the RNoAF into the fifties.
In 1947, the Surveillance and Control Division acquired its first radar system, and around the same time the RNoAF got its firstjet fighters in the form ofde Havilland Vampires.
In 1949 Norway co-foundedNATO, and soon afterwards received American aircraft through the MAP (Military Aid Program). The expansion of the Air Force happened at a very rapid pace as theCold War progressed. Throughout the Cold War the Norwegian Air Force was only one of two NATO air forces—Turkey being the other—with a responsibility for an area with a land border with theSoviet Union, and Norwegian fighter aircraft had on average 500–600 interceptions of Soviet aircraft each year.[4]
In 1959, theAnti-Aircraft Artillery was integrated into the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
In 1999, Norway participated with six[5] F-16s during theNATO bombing of Yugoslavia.[6]
In October 2002, a tri-national force of 18 Norwegian,Danish, andDutch F-16 fighter-bombers, with one Dutch Air ForceKC-10Atanker, flew to theManas Air Base inKyrgyzstan, to support the NATO ground forces inAfghanistan as a part of theOperation Enduring Freedom. One of the missions wasOperation Desert Lion.[7]
On 27–28 January, Norwegian F-16s bombedHezb-e Islami Gulbuddin Fighters in the Adi Ghar Mountains during the beginnings ofOperation Mongoose.[citation needed]
In 2004, four F-16s participated on NATO'sBaltic Air Policing operation.[citation needed]
Beginning from February 2006, eight Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s, joined by four Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s, supported NATOInternational Security Assistance Force ground troops mostly in the southern provinces of Afghanistan. The air detachment is known as the 1st Netherlands-Norwegian European Participating Forces Expeditionary Air Wing (1 NLD/NOR EEAW).[8]
In 2011, a detachment of F-16s were sent to enforce theLibyan no-fly zone. In a statement, Foreign MinisterJonas Gahr Støre condemned the violence against "peaceful protesters in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen", saying the protests "are an expression of the people's desire for more participatory democracy. The authorities must respect fundamental human rights such as political, economic and social rights. It is now vital that all parties do their utmost to foster peaceful dialogue on reforms".[9] On 19 March 2011, the Norwegian government authorized the Royal Norwegian Air Force for deployment inLibya. Norway approved sixF-16 fighters and personnel. The deployment started on 21 March and operated from theSouda Air Base inSouda Bay onCrete.[10]
On 24 March 2011, F-16s from the Royal Norwegian Air Force were assigned to theUnited States Africa Command duringOperation Odyssey Dawn.[11][12] On 25 March 2011,laser-guided bombs were launched from F-16s of the Royal Norwegian Air Force against Libyan tanks and during the night towards 26 March an airfield was bombed. Forces were also deployed toOperation Unified Protector on 26 March 2011.[13][14]
By July 2011, the Norwegian F-16's had dropped close to 600 bombs, some 17% of the total bombs dropped at that time.[15][16][17] It was Norwegian F-16s that on the night towards 26 April, bombed Gaddafi's headquarter in Tripoli.[16][18][19][20]
From September to December 2011, the Air Force contributed personnel and one P-3 Orion toOperation Ocean Shield. Operating from theSeychelles, the aircraft searched for pirates in the Somali Basin.[21][22]
In April 2016 the life of a patient, at the hospital inBodø, was saved when necessary medical equipment was ferried halfway across Norway by an Air Force F-16 jet fromVærnes Air Station, in a flight that took 25 minutes.[23]
On 29 March 2017, Norway signed a contract for five P-8As, to be delivered between 2022 and 2023.[24]
On 3 November 2017, RNoAF took delivery of the firstF-35A Lightning II.[25]
In March 2021, RNoAF participated inIcelandic Air Policing with fourF-35A Lightning II and 130 military personnel.[26]
On 6 January 2022, the F-35 officially took over theQuick Reaction Alert mission, ending the F-16 fleet's 42 year-long mission and making Norway the first country in the world to field a fighter fleet entirely composed offifth-generation fighters.[27][28]
In December 2021, Romania expressed their interest to purchase 32 F-16As.[29][30] The first three aircraft were delivered in November 2023.[31]
In June 2022, Norway terminated a contract to acquire 14NH90 helicopters, claiming that the supplier could not deliver and sustain the availability of combat capable aircraft that Norway required. All NH90 flight operations are discontinued, all acquired aircraft are planned to be returned to the manufacturer, and in due course Norway intends to acquire a new aircraft.[32]
On April 1, 2025, RNoAF received its final 2 F-35A's, completing its procurement of 52 aircraft.[33]
On 14 March 2023, RNoAF announced a contract for sixSH-60 Seahawk as a replacement for theNH90. The three first helicopters will be delivered in 2025.[34]
In April 2024 the Strategic Defence Plan announced the intention to acquire one extraC-130J Super Hercules and undisclosed number of helicopters to support the Army and special force.[35] The plan also proposes increasing NASAMS's batteries to 6. As well as increasing the Army's air defence to 2 batteries. 2 batteries of layered air defences with ballistic capacity will also be introduced (Patriot or new NASAMS with long-range missiles)
F-35A Lightning II
Boeing P-8A Poseidon
Helicopters
Control and reporting centre
RAT-31SL/N radar station
SINDRE I radar station
Other flying units
Other air stations
Naval base.jpg)
The RNoAF is organized in five Air Wings. These are divided into a total of one Control and Reporting Centre, nine flying squadrons as well as two ground based air defence units. The former distinctiontion between a Main Air Station (hovedflystasjon) and an Air Station (flystasjon) was replaced by a new distinction between an Air Force Station (flystasjon) and an Air Force Base (Luftforsvarets base).
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| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | |||||
| F-35 Lightning II | United States | Multirole | F-35A | 52[43] | 6 planes for training in US |
| Maritime patrol | |||||
| P-8 Poseidon | United States | ASW /Patrol | 5[1] | ||
| Transport | |||||
| C-130J Super Hercules | United States | Tactical airlifter | C-130J-30 | 4[1] | |
| Helicopters | |||||
| Bell 412 | United States | Utility | 412SP/HP | 18[1] | 9 to be getting a MLU and moved to Bardufoss.[44] |
| AgustaWestland AW101 | Italy /United Kingdom | SAR / Utility | 16[1] | Sea King replacement[45] All 16 delivered to Norway by June 2025[46] | |
| Trainer aircraft | |||||
| Saab MFI-15 Safari | Sweden | Basic trainer | 16[1] | ||
NOTE: Norway is participating in three NATO programs giving them access to anAirbus A330 MRTT, 3C-17’s and 5RQ-4D Phoenixs.[47][48][49]
Previous aircraft flown included theDassault Falcon 20,F-16 Fighting Falcon,North American F-86K,Republic F-84G,F-104 Starfighter,Northrop F-5,Lockheed T-33,Fairchild PT-26,Catalina PB5Y-A,Douglas C-47,DHC-3 Otter,Noorduyn Norseman,Cessna O-1,Bell UH-1B, Bell 47G,P-3 Orion,NHIndustries NH90 and theWestland Sea King andWestland Lynx helicopters.[50][51][27][52][53]
| Name | Origin | Type | Introduced | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASBM-1 | Norway | Commercial and military needs | The coverage area extends from 65° north to the North Pole, and the system improves communications for ships, aircraft, research stations and security operations in the Arctic. | Launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base i August 2024 using SpaceX Falcon 9 | The coverage area extends from 65° north to the North Pole, and the system improves communications for ships, aircraft, research stations and security operations in the Arctic.[54] |
| ASBM-2 | Norway | Commercial and military needs | The coverage area extends from 65° north to the North Pole, and the system improves communications for ships, aircraft, research stations and security operations in the Arctic. | Launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base i August 2024 using SpaceX Falcon 9 | The coverage area extends from 65° north to the North Pole, and the system improves communications for ships, aircraft, research stations and security operations in the Arctic.[54] |
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Royal Norwegian Air Force[55] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
| General | Generalløytnant | Generalmajor | Brigader | Oberst | Oberstløytnant | Major | Kaptein | Løytnant | Fenrik | |||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Norwegian Air Force[55] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sersjantmajor | Kommandérsersjant | Stabssersjant | Oversersjant | Vingsersjant | Sersjant | Ledende spesialist | Spesialist | Visespesialist | Ledende flysoldat | Flysoldat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
| History | |
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| Current aircraft | |
| Squadrons | |
| Air stations | |
| Airfields | |
| Other |
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