– This is absolutely crucial for a modern army, says defense policy spokesman for the Labor Party Nils-Ole Foshaug. Nine Bell 412 helicopters are to be upgraded and stationed in a separate squadron at Bardufoss. The government reports this in a press release today. The upgraded helicopters are scheduled to be ready for use by 2025. In 2019, the Norwegian Armed Forces’ Bell helicopters were moved from Bardufoss to Rygge in Østfold. Now nine of them are coming back. Important for security in the north Foshaug says today’s news is good for security in the north. – The investment will lead to increased responsiveness, tactical mobility and, not least, rapid medical evacuation. The helicopters will also strengthen civil preparedness in Troms and Finnmark, so this is good news, he says. Defense policy spokesperson in the Labor Party, Nils-Ole Foshaug, says that today’s news is good for security in the north. Photo: Stortinget The Labor Party’s defense policy spokesperson believes this will also have a lot to say for the helicopter environment at Bardufoss. – They have had tough years now with both the NH90 that went away and Bell that left. This is important to preserve and secure Norway’s leading helicopter technical environment. Earlier this year, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee voted down the Red party’s proposal to move the Bell 412 helicopters back to Bardufoss. – It’s just a matter of flagging The main union representative in the Norwegian Officers’ Association, Pål Nygaard, is a very happy man today. The army is dependent on having its own dedicated helicopter service, he says. – The fact that we are getting a squadron dedicated to the Army with nine helicopters is good news. It is extremely important for the Army’s task-solving. And not least – it will have value for civil society. Northern Norway has had a 339 squadron since 1964, before it was moved to Rygge in 2018. The helicopters performed a number of civilian missions when civilian machines could not fly for various reasons. – This is very good news for the defence, the army and the country. It’s just a matter of flying the flag, says Nygaard. Chief shop steward in the Norwegian Officers’ Association, Pål Nygaard, believes that the only thing is to raise the flag. Photo: Dan Henrik Klausen / news Helicopter resources in the north are crucial Nygaard believes that it is crucial to have helicopter resources in the north, for the Army to be able to carry out its mission in roadless terrain in northern Norway. Not least in the medical evacuation chain. – Our challenge is that the helicopter community is under very strong pressure. So this re-establishment comes in the count’s time. We must preserve the resources we have at Bardufoss, and then we must build up and train more technicians, more pilots, more system operators. But it is air force personnel, he says. – The army is ready to fly helicopters, there is no doubt about that. But the air force is responsible for the support.
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Nine Bell helicopters to Bardufoss – news Troms and Finnmark
