Confirms: Trying to borrow helicopters

The Minister of Defense confirmed yesterday to Dagbladet that Norway is not meeting NATO targets associated with the brigade.

Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) also said that the Nato summits have made it clear that they think the Norwegian build-up of the Armed Forces has gone too late.

One of the problems is helicopters for Norway’s frigates.

In combination with the Helge Ingstad scandal, Gram is clear that the frigates, and thus the Navy, do not have the desired impact as of today.

– The loss of the frigate KNM Helge Ingstad and a lack of maritime helicopters means that our frigates cannot do everything that was originally planned for them to do, says the Minister of Defense to Dagbladet.

The government recently chose to terminate the agreement on the delivery of NH90 helicopters to the frigates.

Gram can now say that the Norwegian Armed Forces are working towards providing a short-term solution to the major helicopter problem.

– A project is now being carried out in the Ministry of Defense to be able to purchase maritime helicopters. As part of the process, a close dialogue has been established with several close allies to investigate alternative solutions that can cover the need that the Armed Forces have to be able to solve missions as quickly as possible, he says.

Want to make “Giske copies”

Even if the government is therefore working on a solution, it will take a long time before the full capacity that is missing as of today is in place, Gram admits.

– In the short term, it is unlikely that new helicopters can be acquired in time to compensate for this, says Gram.

Gram points out that the frigates sailed more than they have ever done in 2022 and that the government has made arrangements for further increased activity and strengthened maintenance.

Speeches to the Storting

– In connection with increased sailing as a result of the situation in Ukraine, there is also increased maintenance of the frigates. Norway routinely participates in NATO’s standing maritime groups, and sails internationally together with other NATO countries, and has received good feedback on this.

Norway currently has four operational frigates of the Fridtjof Nansen class. 2019 figures from Defense Forum gave the frigates a price tag of NOK 14 billion each if they are to be bought new.

– About NOK 90 million has been set aside for increased maintenance of the frigates in 2023. We plan for more people in the Navy, and in addition increase the number of school places at the Naval Academy. This will be able to provide more qualified officers for the frigate force, continues the Minister of Defence.