Government leaders and military brass rolled out Norway’s updated national defense plan on Friday with an extra NOK 115 billion in funding. Several major projects, however, have been postponed, and that put defense officials on the defense themselves.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed how the extra funds will bring Norway into compliance with NATO’s new goal of spending at least 3.5 percent of GNP on defense by 2035, in addtion to all the defense support Norway sends to Ukraine. Støre’s government has now earmarked NOK 1,848 billion (USD 205 billion) for Norway’s defense sector over the next 10 years.
The money will go towards the purchase of five new frigates, upgrades to Norway’s existing frigates and more rapid development of the new Finnmark Brigade in the far north. That’s been an important part of stronger defense against Norway’s neighbouring Russia, and in the Norway’s northern Arctic areas.
There will also be more investment in ammunition and military supply preparedness, quicker introduction of new submarines and the first two new frigates being built in the UK, one of Norway’s most important allies. Defense priorities also include:
*** upgrading “critical defense infrastructure” such as roads and harbours that will make it easier to receive and support allied forces in Norway
*** funding support that can increase production capacity at both Norwegian and European defense contractors
*** extra funding to strengthen drone defense, electronic warfare and air defense systems
“We’re prioritizing some large, important investments that will be critical for our defense capability in the long term,” said Defense Minister Tore O Sandvik when unveiling the new plan. “At the same time we’re strengthening operating budgets and upgrading infrastructure we already have.”
Defense Chief Eirik Kristoffersen said he supports the updated plan, noting that it reflects his own “professional military advice” based on both analyses from Norway’s defense research institute FFI (Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt) and “the entire defense sector.” Kristoffersen said development of continuous long-term planning “is both correct and necessary. Plans must be updated in line with reality.”
The new updated long-term plan for the defense sector comes just two years after the last one, and also reflects how costs have risen. It immediately sparked criticism, though, because of all the things it does not prioritize and has postponed.
That includes development of new brigades including one in Southern Norway and long-range air defense systems. Such air defense, especially in the Oslo area, “should have been among the most important together with the Navy,” claimed Peter Frølich, leader of the foreign affairs and defense committee in Parliament. He claimed his Conservative Party is “extremely skeptical” about postponing air defense systems once again, and was vowing opposition in Parliament.
It’s ironic since Norway’s own NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) is popular abroad and has been sent to Ukraine and other allies. It’s a medium-distance air defense system developed in Norway by Kongsberg Gruppen and been among the Norwegian defense industry’s biggest export successes. Now many think Norway needs more of them, too, along with the long-range systems.
Other opposition leaders in Parliament complained about an alleged lack of priority on the army and home guard, a lack of new helicopters for the Army, delays in defense restructuring and in cooperation programs with defense contractors. There were also concerns that there wouldn’t be enough fully-qualified naval personnel for all the new frigates nor enough home guard exercises.
There was support for more purchasing of modern and reasonable drones, given the success Ukraine has had with its drone systems. Government officials cautioned, though, that drone technology is developing constantly and purchasing must be in line with that.
The Greens Party was among those openly supporting the government’s new plan, with party leader Arild Hermstad calling it “a necessary adjustment of the long-term plan. With a steadily more dangerous Russia and a steadily more unpredictable USA, there’s no way around this. Norway must take on greater responsibility for its own security.”
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
