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The Norwegian Armed Forces (Norwegian:
Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic languages language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. It is also spoken as a second language among Norwegian-Americans in the United States of America, especially in the central northern states....
 Forsvaret) numbers about 30,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to current (as of 2006) mobilisation plans, the strength during full mobilisation is approximately 130,000 combatant personnel. Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
 has mandatory military service for males (6-12 months of training) and voluntary service for females.

Norwegian Armed Forces are subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence

The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norway government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies....
 (headed by the Minister of Defence).






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The Norwegian Armed Forces (Norwegian:
Norwegian language

Norwegian is a North Germanic languages language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. It is also spoken as a second language among Norwegian-Americans in the United States of America, especially in the central northern states....
 Forsvaret) numbers about 30,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to current (as of 2006) mobilisation plans, the strength during full mobilisation is approximately 130,000 combatant personnel. Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
 has mandatory military service for males (6-12 months of training) and voluntary service for females.

Norwegian Armed Forces are subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence

The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norway government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies....
 (headed by the Minister of Defence). The Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief

A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function....
 is H.M. King Harald V
Harald V of Norway

}|-||}Harald V is the King of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V of Norway on 17 January 1991....
.

Under the Constitution, the Minister of Defence is accountable to Parliament for all activities carried out by the agencies under his/her responsibility. This means that the Ministry, as part of the executive branch of government, is responsible for supervising the activity of its subordinate agencies, among other things by carrying out overall supervisory functions.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is from 2003 an integrated structure with civilian and military personnel. Subordinate to the MoD are the "Armed Forces' Military Organisation" as well as the three civilian agencies: the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment

The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment conducts research and development on behalf of the Military of Norway and provides expert advice to political and military defence leaders....
 (FFI), the and the .

The main annual national exercise is Cold Response
Cold Response

Cold Response is the name given to two different NATO exercises held in Norway. The first one was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006....
, held yearly, with all NATO
NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949....
 member states invited.

Armed Forces' Military Organisation

Military branches (in order of seniority):
  • Norwegian Army
    Norwegian Army

    The Norwegian Army is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the Norwegian military....
  • Royal Norwegian Navy
    Royal Norwegian Navy

    The Royal Norway Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for navy operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 3 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 6 corvettes, 14 patrol boats, 4 Minesweeper , 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support vessels and 2 training vessels....
  • Royal Norwegian Air Force
    Royal Norwegian Air Force

    The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November, 1944....
  • Home Guard


The Armed Forces Military Organisation is headed by the "Chief of Defense" (a four star general or admiral). The Chief of Defence is both head of the military organisation and principal military adviser to the Minister of Defense. The Armed Forces Military Organisation consists of the following main structures:

  • Defense Staff Norway (DEFSTNOR) in Oslo
    Oslo

    is the Capital and largest List of cities in Norway in Norway.Metropolitan Oslo or the Greater Oslo Region makes up the third largest urban area in Scandinavia after Metropolitan Stockholm and Metropolitan Copenhagen....
     acts as the staff of the Chief of Defense. It is headed by a three star general or admiral. DEFSTNOR assigns priorities, manages resources, provides force generation and support activities. The each of the four branches of defense is headed by a two star general/admiral who are subordinate to DEFSTNOR.
    • The Norwegian Army
      Norwegian Army

      The Norwegian Army is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the Norwegian military....
    • The Royal Norwegian Navy
      Royal Norwegian Navy

      The Royal Norway Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for navy operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 3 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 6 corvettes, 14 patrol boats, 4 Minesweeper , 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support vessels and 2 training vessels....
    • The Royal Norwegian Air Force
      Royal Norwegian Air Force

      The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November, 1944....
    • The Norwegian Home Guard
  • National Joint Headquarters (NJHQ) in Mount Jåttå close to Stavanger
    Stavanger

    is a city and municipalities of Norway in the counties of Norway of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 . The rural municipalities of Hetland and Madla merged with Stavanger 1 January 1965....
     has operational control of Norwegian defense forces worldwide 24/7. It is headed by the Supreme Commander Norwegian Forces - a three star general or admiral. Subordinate to NJHQ is the Regional Headquarters North in Bodø
    Bodø

    is a List of cities in Norway and a Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. It is part of the Salten Districts of Norway....
    . Located the same place as NJHQ is NATO
    NATO

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949....
    's Joint Warfare Center
    Joint Warfare Center

    The Joint Warfare Centre is a NATO establishment headquartered in Stavanger, Norway.It was established at J?tt? the 23 of October 2003. The purpose of this was to have a command with responsibility for training and exercise of the NATO headquarters....
     (JWC).
  • Norwegian Defense Logistics Organisation (NDLO) at Kolsås
    Kolsås

    Kols?s is a wooded mountain ridge in the municipality of B?rum, Norway. Geologically, Kols?s belongs to the Oslo Graben area. Its two peaks consist of hard rhomb porphyry lava covering softer rocks, forming steep cliffs to the east, south and west....
     outside Oslo
    Oslo

    is the Capital and largest List of cities in Norway in Norway.Metropolitan Oslo or the Greater Oslo Region makes up the third largest urban area in Scandinavia after Metropolitan Stockholm and Metropolitan Copenhagen....
     is responsible for engineering, procurement, investment, supply, information and communications technology. It also has responsibility for maintenance, repair and storage of materiel.


Structure 2008

The Norwegian armed forces will be reorganised during the period 2005 to 2008. The structure after 2008 is planned to be as follows.

Joint:
  • 1 National Joint Headquarters in Stavanger
    Stavanger

    is a city and municipalities of Norway in the counties of Norway of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 . The rural municipalities of Hetland and Madla merged with Stavanger 1 January 1965....
  • 2 Regional Command in Bodø
    Bodø

    is a List of cities in Norway and a Municipalities of Norway in Nordland Counties of Norway, Norway. It is part of the Salten Districts of Norway....
     and Stavanger
    Stavanger

    is a city and municipalities of Norway in the counties of Norway of Rogaland, Norway. Stavanger was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 . The rural municipalities of Hetland and Madla merged with Stavanger 1 January 1965....
  • 12 Home Guard districts
  • Tactical Mobile Land/Maritime Command
  • Norwegian Defence Special Forces
    • Norwegian Army Special Operations Command
      Hærens Jegerkommando

      H?rens Jegerkommando is the armed forces competence center for commando, airborne forces and Counter-terrorism duty in the Norwegian Army. HJK is located 30 km....
       Hærens Jegerkommando in Norwegian. (Roughly the equivalent to the UK Special Air Service
      Special Air Service

      The Special Air Service is a special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model for the special forces of other countries....
      ).
    • Norwegian Naval Special Operations Command
      Marinejegerkommandoen

      Marinejegerkommandoen is a Norwegian maritime special forces unit. It was formally established in 1951. It is divided into two operative units, one of which is located in Ramsund, Norway in the northern part of Norway and the other at the Haakonsvern Navy base in Bergen, Norway....
       Marinejegerkommandoen in Norwegian. (Roughly the equivalent to the US Navy Seals or UK Special Boat Service
      Special Boat Service

      The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. The service's motto is "By Strength and Guile". It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces group, alongside the Special Air Service , Special Reconnaissance Regiment , Special Forces Support Group and 18 Signal Regiment....
      ).
    • 1 Air Wing, 720Sqn.
  • Joint ISTAR
    Istar

    Istar can refer to:* One of the Istari, the "wizards" in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world.*List of Dragonlance locations#Istar, a fictional city set in the fantasy world of Krynn in the Dragonlance setting of the Dungeons & Dragons game....
     Unit (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance)
    • Module based ISTAR Unit
    • Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command (Kystjegerkommandoen in Norwegian)
    • Unmanned aerial vehicle
      Unmanned aerial vehicle

      File:MQ-9 Reaper in flight .jpgAn unmanned aerial vehicle is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location, and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems....
       capability
  • Airborne Ground Surveillance (joint NATO
    NATO

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949....
     project)
  • Norwegian Home Guard - 50 000 personnel + 33 000 (reserve), rapid reaction forces, follow-on-forces, reinforcement forces and reserves.
  • Capacity for information operations
  • Flexible medical units
  • NRBC protection (Nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical weapons )
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal
    Bomb disposal

    Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. "Bomb disposal" is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:...
  • Joint C2I
    Command and control warfare

    Command and control warfare encompasses all the military tactics that use communications technology. It can be abbreviated as . An older name for these tactics is signals warfare, derived from the name given to communications by the military....
     Unit (command, control and information)
  • Civil Military Coordination Unit (CIMIC
    Civil-Military Co-operation

    CIMIC is the military function through which a commander links to civilian agencies active in a theatre of operations....
    )
  • Deployable logistical support
  • 2 mobilisation host country battalions (logistics for allied reinforcements)


Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army

The Norwegian Army is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the Norwegian military....
:
  • 1 mechanised infantry brigade (Brigade Nord
    Brigade Nord

    Brigade Nord is the only full strength standing brigade in the Norwegian Army; it is one of two brigades in the Norwegian 6th Division . It is mostly based in mid-Troms north of the Arctic Circle....
    )
  • 1 mobilisation mechanised infantry brigade (Brigade 6)
  • 1 mobile tactical land command (6th Division
    Norwegian 6th Division

    HistoryThe pinnacle of this division's service was during World War II, during the Germany invasion of Norway. It was commanded by General Carl Gustav Fleischer, who was one of the King of Norway favourite military officers....
    )
  • Division/Corps units; ISTAR Unit, transport unit, fuel unit, NRBC search and cleaning unit, engineering unit, bridge unit
  • Norwegian Army Special Operations Command
    Hærens Jegerkommando

    H?rens Jegerkommando is the armed forces competence center for commando, airborne forces and Counter-terrorism duty in the Norwegian Army. HJK is located 30 km....
  • Home Guard (Land)
  • Border Guards
  • HM the King's Guard
    Hans Majestet Kongens Garde

    Hans Majestet Kongens Garde is a battalion of the Norwegian Army. The battalion has two main roles; it serves as the Norway King's lifeguards, guarding the royal residences and Akershus festning in Oslo, and is also the main infantry unit responsible for the defence of Oslo....


Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy

The Royal Norway Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for navy operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 3 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 6 corvettes, 14 patrol boats, 4 Minesweeper , 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support vessels and 2 training vessels....
:
  • 5 Fridtjof Nansen class
    Fridtjof Nansen class frigate

    The Fridtjof Nansen class of frigates, for the Royal Norwegian Navy, are a derivative of the Spain Alvaro de Baz?n class frigate of Aegis combat system-equipped air defence frigates....
     Aegis
    Aegis combat system

    The Aegis combat system is an integrated weapons system used by the United States Navy. It is both an integrated single ship system and a ship-to-ship network....
     frigates
  • 6 Skjold class
    Skjold class patrol boat

    The Skjold class patrol boats is a new class of superfast, large stealth missile craft, also known as MTBs . They are built at the Umoe Mandal yard, and regarded as the fastest Naval ship in the world with speeds over 60 knots / 110 km/h....
     fast patrol boats
  • 6 Ula class
    Ula class submarine

    The Ula class is a Norway submarine type which was assembled in Germany in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The class, consisting of 6 vessels, is currently the only submarine type in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy....
     submarines
  • Mine Warfare Capability
    • 6 (8) Oksøy class mine hunter
      Oksøy class mine hunter

      The Oks?y-class mine hunters are a class of vessels of the Royal Norwegian Navy active since the mid-1990s.Almost identical to the Alta class, the only differences are the equipment on the aft deck and aft 1....
       and Alta class mine sweeper
    • Mine Clearance Command
      Minedykkerkommandoen

      Minedykkerkommandoen is Norway's clearance diver group. It is a branch of the Norwegian naval defenses specializing in explosive ordnance disposal....
       (divers); HNoMS Tyr
      HNoMS Tyr (N50)

      HNoMS Tyr is a mine control vessel used for underwater search and recovery by the Royal Norwegian Navy....
       support vessel
  • Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command
  • Naval Ranger Command
    Marinejegerkommandoen

    Marinejegerkommandoen is a Norwegian maritime special forces unit. It was formally established in 1951. It is divided into two operative units, one of which is located in Ramsund, Norway in the northern part of Norway and the other at the Haakonsvern Navy base in Bergen, Norway....
  • Tactical Naval Command
  • Logistics/Support Capacity
  • Home Guard (Sea)
  • Coast Guard
    Norwegian Coast Guard

    The Norwegian Coast Guard, or Kystvakten in Norwegian language, is a part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built....
    • 1 Svalbard class vessel
    • 3 Barentshav class vessels
    • 3 Nordkapp class OPV
      Nordkapp class OPV

      The Nordkapp class ships is a Norwegian ship class built in the 1980s, and is used for rescue, fishery inspection, research purposes and general EEZ patrol in Norwegian waters....
    • Leased vessels (KV Tromsø and KV Ålesund, KV Harstad, 6 ocean patrol vessels)
    • Inner coast guard (25 leased vessels)
    • Tug capacity
    • Strategic Sealift
    • Home Guard (Sea) (235 patrol and Tug vessels)


Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force

The Royal Norwegian Air Force is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November, 1944....
:
  • 57 F-16 Fighting Falcon
    F-16 Fighting Falcon

    The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a Multirole combat aircraft jet aircraft fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force....
     fighters
  • 2 Air Control Centre/Recognized Air picture Production Centre/Sensor Fusion post (ARS Sørreisa
    Sørreisa

    S?rreisa is a Municipalities of Norway in Troms Counties of Norway, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of S?rreisa....
     and ARS Mågerø
    Mågerø

    M?ger? is a small peninsula just south of the Norway city of T?nsberg. It is a part of the island Tj?me, a typically Norwegian summer vacation area....
    )
  • Strategic Airlift / Aerial refuelling (common NATO projects)
  • Maritime surveillance (4 x P-3C Orion
    P-3 Orion

    The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft used by numerous navies and air forces around the world, primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare....
     and 2 x P-3N Orion
    P-3 Orion

    The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft used by numerous navies and air forces around the world, primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare....
  • Electronic Warfare (2 + 1 DA-20 Jet Falcon
    Dassault Falcon 20

    The Dassault Falcon 20 is a France business jet and was the first of a family of business jets built by Dassault Aviation....
    )
  • Transport C-130 Hercules
    C-130 Hercules

    The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It is the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide....
  • Air Defence Artillery (NASAMS
    NASAMS

    NASAMS is a distributed and networked medium to long range Anti-aircraft warfare. NASAMS was the first surface-based application for the AIM-120 AMRAAM , and the first surface-to-air missile system in the western world with active radar homing....
    )
  • Air Wing for Special Forces (6 x Bell 412
    Bell 412

    The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a further development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor....
    SP)
  • Home Guard (Air)
  • 18 Bell 412SP transport and light attack helicopters
  • 6 NH-90
    NHI NH90

    The NHI NH90 is a medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military, fly-by-wire helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries. The NH90, which can be flown by a single pilot, is designed to operate by night and day and in poor weather....
     maritime helicopters (frigates)
  • Deployable base support
  • 12 Sea King
    Westland Sea King

    The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a United Kingdom license-built version of the United States SH-3 Sea King helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters....
     search and rescue helicopters


Small arms and handguns

  • AG3 - standard assault rifle, to be replaced by the HK416.
  • Heckler & Koch HK416 - the new standard assault rifle.
  • Heckler & Koch MP5
    Heckler & Koch MP5

    The MP5 is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun of Germany design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the West Germany arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar....
     - to be replaced by the MP7
  • Heckler & Koch MP7
    Heckler & Koch MP7

    The MP7 is a Germany submachine gun manufactured by Heckler & Koch and chambered for the 4.6x30mm cartridge. It was designed in conjunction with the new cartridge to meet NATO requirements published in 1989 calling for a personal defense weapon class firearm with a greater ability to defeat body armor than current weapons, which are limited...


External links