The case in summary Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen tells Klassekampen that the Nordic defense chiefs are behind a joint proposal to get an advanced command in Northern Europe. He wants to add this advanced NATO headquarters to Reitan in Bodø. In that case, this means that NATO personnel from, among others, the USA, Canada and the Netherlands will come to Bodø to work. NUPI researcher Per Erik Solli says the proposal is not completely unrealistic, but emphasizes that much remains to be done. The Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters supports the recommendation and sees several advantages in this. Acting Bodø mayor Ola Smeplass (SP) welcomes the proposal and welcomes NATO. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Bodø has a long history with the Norwegian Armed Forces. Now the county capital in Nordland can have a central role in NATO. Because with both Finland and Sweden entering the defense alliances, all the Nordic countries will soon be united. It happens after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave his approval to the Swedes this week. Now the Nordic defense chiefs are coming together on a joint proposal to get an advanced command in Northern Europe, writes Klassekampen. Defense chief Eirik Kristoffersen confirms to Klassekampen that Norway wants this to be located in Bodø. – We do not want to establish new infrastructure, and will use the existing one. Norway has a great and very well-functioning base outside Bodø, which is the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters (FOH), he says. Specifically on Reitan. From there, FOH has overall control over military activities in Norway and abroad. Expert: – Not unrealistic Per Erik Solli thinks there are exciting signals from the defense chief. Solli is a senior adviser at Nord University and a defense analyst at NUPI. Brigadier Håkon Warø in the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters supports the proposal. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news There he works precisely with security policy and defense cooperation in the north. – It is definitely not unrealistic that Bodø is added. The chief of defense argues that it is better to use what we have than to build new, explains Solli and emphasizes that much remains to be done: – It is important that the chief of defense took this from the back room and into the public space. But Norway does not decide this alone. The other Nordic countries and NATO will also have a say in the team, he points out. Solli explains that there is now talk of all five Nordic countries being linked to the same headquarters, but that this has not been finally decided. If so, they could be placed under the Norfolk Command in the US state of Virginia, which is the alliance’s headquarters in the northwest. – It is during Norfolk that the defense chief wants Bodø to be a forward base. With personnel from, among others, Canada, the USA, Great Britain and the Netherlands, among others, to Reitan, says Solli. NATO also has a headquarters in Naples in Italy and in Brunssum in the Netherlands. FOH: – Will provide more benefits At Reitan in Bodø, they are very positive about the desire to add an advanced headquarters there. Division commander, and supreme commander in FOH this summer, Håkon Warø supports the defense chief’s recommendation. He emphasizes that it is a political decision that must first be made. – But it is wise to connect with a headquarters that already works, that knows the northern areas and that will be even better if we get NATO represented here. – In that case, it means that officers who currently work in the Norfolk command will come to Bodø and work closely with us. This means that we can look at the situation in the Nordic areas with the same eyes, from the same place – and with the same time difference. Deputy mayor welcomes Acting Bodø mayor Ola Smeplass (Sp) says they have worked politically for a long time for such a solution. – It is very nice that the chief of defense is proposing this. We applaud it and wish Nato a warm welcome here. Deputy mayor Ola Smeplass cheers for the defense chief’s proposal. Photo: Andreas Nilsen Trygstad / news – Glad that the chief of defense agrees that FOH should become a NATO base. We have worked for this for a long time, adds Ann-Kristin Moldjord. She is the Labor Party’s mayoral candidate. The Conservative mayoral candidate, Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, describes the proposal as “very exciting”. – I think Bodø must do everything we can to make NATO feel welcome here. It shows an increased NATO presence in the north, and in the war situation we are in now, it is important to welcome NATO. Ola Smeplass recalls that the airport in Bodø was decided to be closed in 2012 by politicians in the Storting. – This shows that the Norwegian Armed Forces think of Bodø as a defense city. This means that Bodø will become an international city to a greater extent, and at the same time ensure the defense’s presence for a long time. – Couldn’t that make Bodø more vulnerable in terms of security? – That assessment will be difficult for us local politicians to make. My starting point is that the more defenses we have in place, the safer we are. Brigader Håkon Warø at FOH goes a long way in supporting Smeplass. – There has already been military activity in Bodø for a long time, and we do not think that will increase the risk.
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The chief of defense wants a new NATO command in Northern Europe to Bodø – news Nordland
