Norway closes main air base above Arctic Circle
Fighter jets have been stationed in Bodø since 1955, and the air base was Norway’s largest throughout the Cold War and until today.
Located approximately 80 km inside the Arctic Circle, Bodø is strategically placed on the Norwegian Sea coast and within a short flight distance to protect the northern airspace against Russian military aviation from the Kola Peninsula.
The closure of the airbase also marks the end of 40 years of the F-16 as the main fighter plane of the Norwegian Air Force.
The new F-35 fleet is based at Ørland Air Base in southern Norway, but a few will also serve as NATO’s new QRA at Evenes Air Base near Harstad in the North. So far, 24 of the 52 new F-35s have arrived in Norway. By 2025, all new aircraft will be in service.
On January 6, the F-35 fighter jets will launch an active NATO QRA from Evenes and the last two F-16s from Bodø will perform their final mission, marking the official end of Bodø Air Base, which houses the planes. of fight.
One of the two F-16s will return to Bodø and remain as a museum exhibit at the city’s Aviation Museum.
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“The integration of the modern fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet into the 24/7 mission of protecting the skies at home and abroad is a real boost. When emergency preparedness and the QRA leave Evenes next year, the Royal Norwegian Air Force will provide the mission with more networked and efficient combat assets. The F-35 has an on-board information system of a whole new generation and a situational vision of the airspace clearly superior to that of the F-16. Norwegian F-35s have already carried out missions – in Norway and Iceland – within the framework of NATO. They have proven their compatibility and integration with NATO air command and control, ”said Lt. Col. Tron Strand, commander of the 132nd Air Wing, in a statement posted on the alliance portal.
Joint mission with B-2
A few of the F-35s have been on training missions with an Evenes takeoff, most notably in September of last year as they flew with US Air Force B-2 bombers in the United States. over the Norwegian Sea.
In March and April, Norway will host its largest military exercise inside the Arctic Circle since the Cold War. Approximately 40,000 troops will participate in the kickoff of Exercise Cold Response 2022 in the Ofoten region in partnership with Norwegian NATO allies. During the financial year, Evenes airport will play a key role.
In addition to NATO members, Finland and Sweden will also participate in the exercise. Before Christmas, the Finnish government announced its decision to purchase 64 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to replace the country’s current fleet of F / A-18 Hornets.
Nordic interoperability
In a guidance note for the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, former managing director and F-16 pilot at Bodø Air Base, Col. Per Erik Solli (retired) points out that Finland’s decision to purchase the F-35 is a step towards greater interoperability across the Nordics.
“The decision paves the way for further regional air power cooperation in the years to come,” says Per Erik Solli.
“For more than a decade, the fighter forces of the Nordic countries have cooperated closely in the framework of the cross-border training regime as well as joint tactical and multinational exercises. This cooperation has become closely linked to a wider regional integration of security and defense since 2014, ”write Solli and his co-author Øystein Solvang.
Like Finland and Norway, the Danish Air Force is also purchasing F-35s and expects the first planes to arrive in 2023.
Meanwhile, Bodø Airport will continue to serve civilian air traffic and will still house the 330th SAR Helicopter Squadron operating under the management of the Northern Norway Joint Rescue Coordination Center.