At Ørland airport, there are no more flight departures than before. But the Norwegian Armed Forces have redirected the activity – among other things, by now patrolling the Norwegian coast and monitoring oil and gas installations. The background is the government’s decision to increase preparedness and visibility following the gas leaks in the Baltic Sea. Unique characteristics – What I can say in general is that following the government’s decision to increase preparedness, the Norwegian Armed Forces have increased their visibility and presence. This is the answer from Thomas Gjesdal, spokesperson at the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters, to questions about the increased activity at Ørland air station. Here, the F-35 has just taken off from the combat aircraft base on Ørland. The fighter plane has a top speed of 1,931 km/h. Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden / news – We have a plane that departs from Evenes and Ørlandet, and we also have a coast guard that operates from Sortland. The navy operates out of Haakonsvern. These units are out along the entire Norwegian coast, as part of our daily operations. And then recently we have an increased presence and visibility of gas installations offshore. The unique thing about the F-35 is the sensor technology. The sensors of the combat aircraft make it possible to find, follow and identify other aircraft from far greater distances than before. The F-35 also does this job without being detected by other aircraft, according to the Norwegian Armed Forces. Passing on information The advanced system in the combat aircraft collects and digests data and measurements from the sensors. This is information that can be passed on to the police and authorities if necessary. – The Air Force has increased its presence and visibility with, among other things, the F-35 combat aircraft from Ørland air station. The F-35 has, among other things, sensors that can contribute to the mission, says Stian Roen, who is a spokesperson for the Norwegian Air Force. He points out that this is not a military action. – The F-35 is a multi-role combat aircraft that contributes and can contribute – whether it is an increased readiness of oil and gas installations – or other tasks – which the Air Force is tasked with carrying out, he says. Norwegian F-35 tanks in the air with Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers in a flyover from Norway to Iceland. Photo: The Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces will not say anything about when they were contacted about contributing. Nor do they wish to comment on whether there is an increased level of preparedness at Norwegian air bases. The first F-35s landed in Norway on 3 November 2017. In the long term, Norway will receive up to 52 combat aircraft. The Norwegian fleet will be fully operational from 2025.
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The F-35 assists the police by monitoring oil and gas installations – news Trøndelag
