In the Storting, the military major investment in Ramsund in Sør-Troms was confirmed again and again: 100 specially trained soldiers and advanced ships were to be established by 2026. But just before Easter, the Marine Hunter Command Alarm: The deadline cracks. The letter is exempt from public, but the title is clear enough. Facsimile: The Defense Open Mailing List – it is obvious that you will not reach the deadline. From what I know, it is several years before we want to be ready in Ramsund, says Torbjørn Bongo. He is the leader of the Norwegian Officer and Specialist Association (NOF), a trade union for Norwegian officers. He knows the conditions at Ramsund through his position. Trade union leader Torbjørn Bongo in NOF says it is “obvious” that the deadline is not to reach. Photo: Erik Waagbø / news He says that neither people nor buildings are on route. The training has not begun, the excavation work has not started, and existing buildings are closed because it is full of fungi and injuries, according to Bongo. The Storting has not been fully informed this, according to news’s investigations. Ramsund Wood Station is located in Tjeldsund municipality in Sør-Troms. Half an hour away is Evenes Airport. – We have not received, as far as we can see, clear information that there are deferences and problems in implementing the Storting’s decision, says Peter Frølich (H). He is the leader of the Control and Constitution Committee of the Storting, but is now making a statement on behalf of the party. – It is too early to talk about consequences. First, we have to find out what in the world has happened, says Peter Frølich (H). Photo: Christian Ziegler Remme / news Frølich responds that the Storting has not received information about the situation, pointing out that the prestigious initiative has been a priority case in the Storting. – I think it is quite openly that the Storting should get information, especially if there are delays. It is “obvious” that it will not be completed in the Long -Term Plan for the Armed Forces 2020, the Storting decided to build a sea -based effort force at Ramsund in Troms, which is one of the Navy’s bases in the north. The SPECial Operations Task Group (abbreviated SOTG) force force becomes part of the Marine Hunter Command. It does special assignments, and will host other special forces that want to train in the north. In particular, American and British cooperation is mentioned. The project has been up several times at the Storting. Most recently in the state budget for 2025, it was stated that the input squadron should be established “by the end of 2026”. But on the ground in Ramsund, reality is quite different. Bongo says it is already clear that the deadline will be broken. – There is talk of a department of about 100 people. There are no people you can only pick up from one day to another. There we should have been hiring, training and training those who will do the various functions, he says. He points out that, for example, it takes two years of training to be able to carry the boats that the strength should have. Here, three new advanced Norwegian Combatant Craft Medium will be procured, on a contract worth almost $ 31 million (just over NOK 326 million). Photo: Alexander Undrum Fathi / Defense He also believes that the defense leadership has allocated too little money for the effort, which last year’s defense chief confirmed in the newspaper in the future – I have been concerned for a while already, that you have not got the resources that have been required. It is a concern we have shared with both the Defense Staff and the Chief of Defense. We have called for progress, without it having led to anything concrete, says the federal leader. Now the parliamentary representative Per-Willy Amundsen (Frp) is also responding. He says it is serious that the Storting’s plan has not been followed up. And says it is criticized that the Storting is not kept up to date. – The Minister of Defense has on several occasions, as I can understand, given the Storting’s wrong information. I’m going to take the initiative pretty quickly to ask the question of this to the Minister of Defense, says Per-Willy Amundsen. Per-Willy Amundsen (Frp) will ask the Minister of Defense for an explanation. Peter Frølich is also critical. – If the government wants to spend money on something else, then the Storting should be submitted. And then it is the Storting that may change itself. They cannot do this without involving us, says Frølich. Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) quit as defense minister in February this year. It was he who briefed the Storting on the matter in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He says everything was on track when he quit. – I have been very clear that we will reach the goal of establishing this intervention force in Ramsund, in line with the Storting’s assumptions, by 2026, he says. He does not want to talk about how this was prioritized internally. The politicians demanded close follow -up the quarrel about a maritime response force at Ramsund is not new. At the end of 2022, VG wrote that Defense Chief Eirik Kristoffersen wanted to stop the new intervention force at Ramsund. However, from the Storting’s pulpit, Gram assured that the plan would be kept: “The mission of establishing a maritime [innsatsstyrke] Located firmly, it is stated to the Armed Forces that the implementation should continue as adopted. ” By 2023 and the beginning of 2024, the Gram’s Ministry announced that the new special force should have “full operational capability” in 2026. This means that buildings and soldiers, training and equipment should be ready for use. But in the autumn of 2024, the Ministry of Defense removed the term “full operational capability” from the state budget. Now it just says that it will be “established” by 2026. And then, in April this year, came the notice from the Marine Hunter Command (MJK) that the deadline for establishment will also be smoking. The notice has gone from the Marine Hunter Command and to the Defense Special Forces (FS) Facsimile: Defense spokesman for the Armed Forces, Brage Steinson Wiik-Hansen, however, denies that it is delayed:-The department will be established by the end of 2026. He will not give more details and justify this. Nor does current Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik fear delays: – The establishment is not delayed. The Storting has decided that the new maritime input squadron will be completed by the end of 2026. It is fixed, he writes. news has asked what is the difference between completion, establishment and full operational capability. The Ministry has not responded to that. – Then comes the operational ability. It will be gradually increased after 2026, and the Storting is familiar with this, writes Sandvik. Not quite elementary on questions from news about how the Storting is informed, the press staff points out that it is written in the state budget for 2025 (sweep to see the difference): In the state budget 2024, the government writes that there should be full operational capability during 2026.In the state budget 2025 there is nothing about the operational effect. It doesn’t seem Frølich is clear enough. He says he has gone through minutes, without finding anything. – So far, it doesn’t seem to be in clear text anywhere. We cannot be psychic or Sherlock Holmes to find out about delays in such an important project, he says. Important for the Americans initiatives in Ramsund is an important part of the Defense Promise, and will strengthen the capacity of the special forces in the north. Ramsund is also part of Norway’s defense agreement with the United States. In the agreement, which was signed in 2021, Pentagon writes that Ramsund is of great importance to exercise, practice and support maritime logistics. The plans emphasize that special forces from other NATO countries can also train here. In March 2022, General Richard Clarke (left), head of the US Special Operations Command, came to Ramsund to look at the collaboration between Norwegian and American special forces during the Cold Response defense exercise. Here, together with Major General Torgeir Gråtrud, commander of the Defense Special Forces and Commander Kåre Karlsen, head of the Marine Hunter Command. Photo: Alexander Undrum Fathi / Defense Three years ago, the chief executive of the US special forces came to visit Ramsund. Then they demonstrated special boats that go at 50 knots speed and can be released from aircraft. Norway has ordered three of these boats for the new initiative, which will be delivered in the fall of 2025. Federation leader Torbjørn Bongo believes this visit shows how important the base is to the relationship with the United States. Frølich is voting in. – It is about Norway’s presence in the northern areas. These are important soldiers for Norway and for allies. The importance of the operations up there cannot be underdrew, says Frølich. He now notifies washing in the control committee at the Storting. – On the part of Høyre, there is one obvious question for the committee: Why has the Storting not received information on this before, and in plain text, he says. Published 29.04.2025, at. 21.53
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