What actually happened at the closed-off military area of the Kongsberg Gruppen at Rygge air station one night this spring? Palestine activist Ole Bertheus Sørensen (24), claims he destroyed several parts for fighter jet engines. Such as are used in all F-35 aircraft around the world. – I smashed as many aircraft parts as I could, he says to news. He wanted to destroy the engines of fighter planes that he himself feared would be used by Israel in the war on the Gaza Strip. Kongsberg Gruppen acknowledges that the man managed to get in and carry out damage on their premises, but denies that he managed to destroy aircraft parts. Palestine activist Ole Bertheus Sørensen (24) is charged with serious damage, and does not regret what he did. He thinks he acted in a pinch. Photo: Mohammed Alayoubi / news The activist’s defender, lawyer Sunniva Yde Aksnes, believes Kongsberg Gruppen’s answer is “directly misleading”. Now news can reveal that the manufacturer of the F-35 engines is demanding compensation for vandalism on dozens of aircraft parts that are used in or in connection with the maintenance of F-35 engines inside the Rygge facility. news has seen documentation of this. news knows that the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney has sent the demand to the Norwegian authorities. It will be dealt with legally if charges are brought in the case, according to what news understands. Pratt and Whitney will not comment on the case and refers to the Norwegian Security Police (PST). Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap), Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) and Kongsberg Group CEO Geir Håøy in 2023. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Mykje is at stake for those involved: The young man risks prison and a large financial compensation claim. Kongsberg Gruppen, which competes globally for billion-dollar contracts, risks that their reputation will be weakened after the security failure. The campaigner wanted to hit Israeli fighter jets It started late on Monday evening, 1 April this year, when Kongsberg Gruppen was hit by a sensational incident. The 24-year-old art student and Palestine activist Ole Bertheus Sørensen broke into military territory at Rygge air station in Moss. The shareholder’s target was Kongsberg Gruppen’s building, where the company maintains the engines of the modern F-35 fighter jets. The group itself says so on its own website. Israel has had several American F-35 aircraft in its air defense since 2016, according to the manufacturer Lockheed Martin. With a Finnish cap and tongs Just before midnight on 1 April, Sørensen approached the fence around the military part of the airport after cycling to the area. Kongsberg Gruppen’s facility was secured with reinforced doors and windows, says Sørensen. Avarn Security is responsible for security at the facility. Managing director Kjell Frode Vik will not comment on the matter, and refers to the Kongsberg Group. Kongsberg Gruppen’s facility at Rygge air station. Photo: NTB Sørensen was wearing a black hoodie, black suit trousers and a home-made Finland cap. With pincers he made it through two fences. One, with barbed wire on top, he climbed over. After several failed attempts to get through a window with tempered glass, he managed to get through one of them. Then he was finally inside the building itself, he says. Conflicting explanations This is how the activist’s and Kongsberg Gruppen’s representations differ from each other. Sørensen claims he easily got to the aircraft parts, which he then destroyed with a pick he had with him. After a man from the guard company discovered him, he was asked to lie down on the ground. Then contact the police. When he was seen in handcuffs, several people arrived at the facility. Sørensen says there were many people from the police and the security company. Several of them carried weapons, he says. – It was a bit scary with these armed people. He explains to news that he destroyed several objects, which according to him were clearly aircraft parts. He said that some of them had F-135 written on them. It is the name of the engine of the F-35 aircraft. Kongsberg Group CEO Geir Håøy (Right) at a business seminar together with Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Jonas Gahr Støre. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB – I remember that I got loose on an engine turbine, which was easy to identify, says Sørensen. For 17 days, Sørensen was in custody, 14 of them in a high-risk prison in Halden, charged with serious damage. When news uncovered the security blunder in April this year, Kongsberg Gruppen made some comments. Ronny Lie, director of communications in the group, said that the safety routines worked and that no aircraft parts were destroyed. In a text message, he wrote that “The person has not destroyed or damaged F-35 parts.” Ronny Lie, director of communications: Hi, The person has not destroyed or damaged any F-35 parts. Our security routines worked, the case is serious because the act of vandalism could potentially weaken Norwegian preparedness in a situation where peace in Europe is threatened. We refer to the police for other comments. Five months later, news made contact again, after reading documents showing that aircraft parts were destroyed by the activist. In them it appears that Pratt & Whitney has sent a compensation claim for the sabotage. When news contacted Kongsberg Gruppen again, CEO Geir Håøy was also asked to answer questions. Director of Communications at Kongsberg Gruppen, Ronny Lie. Photo: Maria Kommandantvold / DKBU Communications Director Ronny Lie then responded on behalf of himself and CEO Geir Håøy: “As we have previously informed news, the person in question has broken into military territory and carried out damage to our building. The person did some vandalism to tools, but this was not critical for the operational maintenance of the F-35.” Ronny Lie: Answer your questions to me and Geir: As we have previously informed news, the person in question has broken into military territory and caused damage to our building. The person did some vandalism to tools, but this was not critical for the operational maintenance of the F-35. The case is nevertheless serious because the vandalism was committed on military territory and could potentially weaken Norwegian maintenance of the F-35 in a situation where peace is threatened in Europe. The case is under police investigation and we have no further comment. In April this year, the Kongsberg Group replied that no F-35 parts were destroyed. A few months later, they reply that military tools were destroyed and do not mention aircraft parts. news asked the director of communications and the CEO whether they could confirm or deny that aircraft parts were damaged or destroyed in the action. “As mentioned, we have nothing more to add,” they replied. The F-35 unit of the American defense will not say anything about the matter. They have previously told news that they were informed about the incident by Kongsberg Gruppen. – Directly misleading Lawyer Sunniva Yde Aksnes in the law firm Sulland is Sørensen’s defender. She reacts to how the Kongsberg Group portrays what happened. – As Sørensen himself has told the media, it is true that he has been most successful in destroying parts belonging to F-135 aircraft engines, which are used in American F-35 fighter jets. Lawyer Sunniva Yde Aksnes is Sørensen’s defender. Photo: Mohammed Alayoubi According to Aksnes, the reason why Sørensen is charged with serious damage is that the scope is large. – Kongsberg Gruppen’s answers to news that Sørensen did not destroy or damage F-35 parts and that the security routines worked, therefore appear directly misleading, something that does not inspire much confidence, says Aksnes. She will not comment on news’s information about compensation claims from the engine manufacturer. news has asked Kongsberg Gruppen for a comment on what happened from the lawyer that they have given a misleading answer. They have not given that. This picture was drawn by Sørensen after he got out of the high-risk prison after 14 days. Parts of the investigation are kept away from public view. What was destroyed is not written there either, despite the fact that Sørensen is charged with serious damage. – It has been difficult for us to correct this statement until now, due to the sensitivity of the case and the need for clarification with the right authorities, and because we have met resistance, says Aksnes. Indictment in autumn Sørensen does not think anything of Kongsberg Gruppen denying that he has destroyed aircraft parts. – At the same time, the engine manufacturer demands compensation for destroyed aircraft parts. It’s hypocritical, says Sørensen. He further states that he has had to mediate compensation claims against him of close to NOK 850,000 from the engine manufacturer Pratt and Whitney. news is aware that Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services has recently sent a compensation claim for the vandalism Sørensen carried out on the building at Rygge. Ronny Lie has no comment on that. Now he is waiting for the trial, and fears that he will have to be a debt slave for the rest of his life. But he does not regret what he did. Photo: Mohammed Alayoubi / news Now he is waiting for the case to go to court. Police prosecutor Isak Dammann at the East police district tells news that he plans to press charges in the autumn. He has no further comments as the investigation has not been completed. Sørensen has acknowledged the facts in the case, and says he looks forward to explaining himself in court. Published 24.10.2024, at 06.09
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Manufacturer of F-35 engines demands compensation from Norwegian Palestine activist – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
