The case in summary: Ørland air station will get Norway’s second largest runway, after Gardermoen, with a price tag of over one billion kroner. The runway will be able to handle large bombers, a large number of fighter jets and massive transport aircraft the size of a 747 jumbo jet. Ørland air station is the Air Force’s most important base and headquarters for the new Norwegian F-35 fighter jets. The runway will be fully operational from 28 November, and will be able to accommodate larger aircraft, including Nato Awacs. The runway will strengthen Nordic cooperation, as the Nordics will be able to act as one joint air force. During the construction of the runway, explosives from the Second World War were found in the concrete deck which had to be removed. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The runway is three kilometers long, and the work has been going on for a year. Now it is just before large bombers, a large number of fighter planes and massive transport planes the size of a 747 jumbo jet can take off and land on Ørlandet if necessary. It is about having a military airport in Norway with an airstrip that should be able to handle most things. – This means that we can receive allied reinforcements quickly and on a larger scale, and that we can also bring in larger transport aircraft here, says acting commander at the air base, lieutenant colonel Tom Christiansen. Final touches are now being made to the new runway at the airport on Ørlandet. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden / news Stortinget is the client. The price tag is over one billion kroner, partly financed by NATO. The runway will be the largest in Norway after Gardermoen. Dynamite from the war turned up A total of 10,000 lorry loads of stone and gravel have been transported to the air base to build the runway. In addition to 100,000 tonnes of asphalt. – It is a very large project for the Norwegian Defense Forces. There are not many projects of that size here, says project manager Geir Aune. Defense construction has been responsible for the work, where not only the cover has been replaced, but also the underlying masses. A little while into the work there was a complete standstill. Explosives from the Second World War appeared in the concrete deck that had to be removed. The Germans founded the airbase, and had buried Norwegian dynamite in the airstrip when they built it. They would have the opportunity to blow up the runway and destroy it for others if they had to give it up. Explosives from the Second World War are being prepared for detonation. Photo: Ole Andreas Vekve / Forsvaret – We only knew that it was not unusual for this type of explosive devices in runways from the war, says Aune. There were eight finds in all, and a detective job to find everything, according to him. – There were a few surprises and arms and legs, but we have coped well with the challenge together with the Armed Forces. Parts of the construction work were stopped for periods, safety zones were created, and the explosives were transported to a shielded location and detonated. – We had a suspicion that there was something here, but not to the extent that we were finally able to remove, says Christiansen. More planes, and bigger planes Ørland air station is the Air Force’s most important base. It is the main seat for the new Norwegian F-35 fighter jets. There is a lot of practice, with Norwegian planes alone, and with planes and people from other countries. Last year, an American Northorp B-2 Spirit landed at the fighter base. It is a so-called Stealth aircraft and a very rare visit. – The runway is the most important part of an air base. It is the one the planes take off and land on. The better the quality we have on the runway, the safer the flight operations will be, says Christiansen. The American Northrop B-2 Spirit visited the air base on Ørlandet last year, before all the construction work began. The base has hosted many exercises with allied countries. Photo: Ole Andreas Vekve / Forsvaret For many years, Nato has stationed large surveillance aircraft of the type Awacs for periods at Ørland air station, as a forward base for Nato. Awacs is now at Rygge in Østfold while construction work on Ørlandet takes place. – On 28 November we will make this runway fully operational. This means that we are able to receive larger aircraft, and Nato Awacs again in Ørland, says Christiansen. There are only a few weeks left before the Norwegian Armed Forces and Acting Commander at Ørland Air Station, Lieutenant Colonel Tom Christiansen, can allow the first planes to take off at the new, large runway. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden / news Important for Nordic cooperation Last year, the leaders of the air forces in the four large Nordic countries signed an agreement where the intention is for the Nordic countries to be able to act as one joint air force. Both Norway, Denmark and Finland are in the process of building up their own air force with the F-35. Norway has come the furthest. Sweden has its own fighter type, the JAS Gripen. The four countries will eventually account for around 250 modern combat aircraft. They can operate together on what is called the defense of the Nordkalotten. – From Ørland, we are able to protect the entire Nordic region with the F-35. We have the opportunity to cooperate and support Finland, which is our new ally in NATO in the east, and we can help Sweden. Or we can send planes out into the Atlantic from here or to Finnmark, says Christiansen. The Air Force is intensifying its work to be able to spread fighter aircraft over a larger area than today. Norway lacks long-range air defenses to protect important targets such as the combat aircraft base on Ørlandet. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden/news It’s about practicing together, exchanging experiences and knowledge, and having a joint plan. – It provides good training for us in the integration of allied forces, but it also provides good training for our own pilots to operate together with others, and we are released into the world to get that training. We can do that training here from Ørland. The pilots who fly the F-35 must have a certain amount of flight hours in the air. At the same time as extensive construction work at the base, the F-35 has been practicing as usual. – What has been challenging for us is that at the same time as we do this project, we must also have full strength production with the F-35. We have done that on a smaller parallel track, says Christiansen, who is satisfied that they have achieved the goals for the flight program anyway. Published 10.09.2024, at 20.51
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Easier for bombers to land in Norway – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
