The case in summary: Red demands an answer from the government whether Norway has sent American-owned weapon parts that have been stored in Norway directly to Israel. Denmark has confirmed that it has sent weapons parts to Israel through an organization called the Lightning Sustainment Center, which is run by the US government, of which Norway is also a part. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram confirms that there are American spare parts at Norwegian air bases, but the Ministry of Defense is not aware that parts have been sent to countries other than the USA. Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes is not satisfied with the answer from the Minister of Defense and demands a clearer answer. In February, the Dutch Court of Appeal ordered the country’s government to stop the export of F-35 parts to Israel. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. An international collaboration on F35 combat aircraft means that the member states are obliged to send spare parts to countries that need the parts. Today it could be Israel. Demands government response As part of the agreement, most countries have a warehouse where they keep parts for the fighter planes, in case there is a need for repair or maintenance. – We demand that the government say no if the Americans want weapon parts stored here in Norway to be sent to Israel. This is what former Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes says, who in a written question has demanded an answer from the Minister of Defence, whether spare parts have been sent from Norway to Israel. Last week, Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen confirmed that spare parts have been sent directly to Israel from Denmark. Denmark’s defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, refers to an operating organization called the Lightning Sustainment Center, which will be managed by the US government and whose task is to distribute spare parts between the F-35’s user countries as needed. Photo: Alvur Haraldsen / Reuters Owned by the USA In the letter to the Danish Parliament, the Danish defense minister explains that all countries that use F-35 aircraft have a local spare parts warehouse, and that these parts are owned by the US military. According to the Minister of Defence, ownership only changes when the parts have been mounted on an aircraft, and it is therefore not up to the Danish authorities to decide what is done with unused parts. In addition, he refers to an operating organization called the Lightning Sustainment Center, which will be managed by the US government and has the task of distributing these spare parts between the F-35’s user countries as needed. According to both the Norwegian and Danish defense ministers, it is the American-led Lightning Sustainment Center that regulates which aircraft the parts are to be used on. Photo: F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office Norway participates as a partner country in the F-35 program together with a number of other countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Great Britain and the USA. In addition, several other countries are part of the program, among them Israel, as they have F-35 aircraft and are in the process of having more delivered from the United States. ISRAELI F-35 AIRCRAFT: Israel is now in the process of receiving 75 F-35 aircraft from the United States. Several Norwegian companies contribute to the production of the combat aircraft. Photo: IDF Confirms American control news has contacted the Ministry of Defence, which refers to the answer given in the Storting. There, Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram confirms that there are American spare parts at Norwegian air bases, and that these are owned by the American authorities. It is the US authorities who decide which aircraft the parts are to be used on. As these parts are jointly owned, it could theoretically be possible that parts located in Norway could be used by other countries, writes the Minister of Defense in his reply. Gram says that the Ministry of Defense is not aware that spare parts have been sent to countries other than the USA. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram confirms that there are American spare parts at Norwegian air bases, and that these are under American control. Photo: Håvard Blekastad Almås / news news has not received an answer from the Ministry of Defense as to whether Norway will send spare parts to Israel, should such a request come from the USA. Wants Norway to say no Moxnes is not satisfied with the answer from the Minister of Defence. – There is not a crystal clear answer to a simple question about whether the same thing has happened in Norway, he says. In his reply, the Minister of Defense confirms that it is the American Lightning Sustainment Center that controls the parts located in Norway. – The Minister of Defense confirms that we are part of this collaboration. Then we need to get a proper answer as to whether this has also happened in Norway, and whether we want to carry out such an order from the US, says Moxnes. Rødt has been against the purchase of F35 fighter jets because they believe that these are primarily attack aircraft that Norway has no need for. – We should consider whether we should withdraw from this cooperation, but first it is important to ensure that weapon parts are not to be sent to Israel from Norway. – Won’t an announcement of this cooperation make Norway less safe? – You have to look at the costs of this collaboration, but the most important thing now is that you make sure that weapon parts are not sent to Israel. “NO EXTRA F-35 PARTS FOR ISRAEL” Protesters had gathered outside the trial in The Hague in the Netherlands. Photo: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW / Reuters Stopped delivery of spare parts The Netherlands is also part of the international cooperation around the F-35 fighter jets, on the same lines as Norway and Denmark. In February, an appeals court ordered the Dutch government to halt the export of F-35 parts to Israel, following a request from the United States for the spare parts to be sent to Israel. The Court of Appeal then considered that it was likely that the export would lead to a breach of international law. The American-owned spare parts are stored in a warehouse in the Netherlands and are then sent to other countries through existing export agreements, including to Israel. Kongsberg Gruppen and F-35 aircraft Ten F-35 combat aircraft over the center of Oslo on the commemoration of Norway’s Liberation and Veterans Day this year. Photo: Erik Flaaris Johansen / NTB Here at home in Norway, the Kongsberg Group, together with the Norwegian Armed Forces, will be responsible for the maintenance of the Norwegian F-35 combat aircraft. news has contacted Kongsberg Gruppen about the matter, but they do not wish to comment on it. They have previously said that they have never sold weapons or weapon systems to Israel. Published 03.07.2024, at 07.59
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