Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht

Slagorde · Norway

Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht

Luftforsvaret

The Royal Norwegian Air Force was formed in exile in November 1944 from an army and a navy air arm that had lost their country in 1940, spent the Cold War guarding NATO’s only land border with the Soviet Union from the far north, and in 2025 became the first F-35 partner to receive its whole order — a force of 52 stealth fighters concentrated at Ørland and Evenes, with the maritime helicopter programme still recovering from the NH90 failure.

Nationale markeringThe roundel: a blue centre, a white ring and a red outer ring
Slechte zichtbaarheidThe same rings in subdued tones
52Gevechtsvliegtuigen
11Actieve luchtbases
1944Opgericht
18Typen gepensioneerd
Foto: Alan Wilson uit Peterborough, Cambs, VK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
LandNoorwegenOpgericht1944StatusActiefHoofdkwartierRyggeCommandantØivind Gunnerud
Het verhaal

The Royal Norwegian Air Force story: born in exile, built for the northern flank, first with a full F-35 fleet

1912–1940: two small air arms and the Gladiators at Fornebu

Norway’s military flying began in 1912, when the Army and the Navy each received their first aircraft as gifts and the Army air arm, Hærens flyvåpen, settled at Kjeller outside Oslo, where it stayed until the German occupation. The Storting formalised it in 1913, and the Navy’s flying service grew up alongside it. They were small, underfunded forces. On 9 April 1940 the Army’s fighter flight, Jagevingen, had just seven combat-ready Gloster Gladiators at Fornebu, while crated Curtiss Hawk fighters were still unassembled. The Gladiator pilots attacked a German air armada many times their size, fought until their ammunition ran out and then scattered to whatever fields were left. How many German aircraft they actually brought down is disputed. The campaign ended on 10 June 1940, and the aircrews who could escape went to Britain.

1940–1945: Little Norway and the four squadrons in the RAF

What came next is the part of the story Norway tells with most pride, and rightly. On 10 November 1940 a training camp opened on Toronto Island in Canada: Little Norway, which moved to Muskoka in May 1942 and trained more than 2,500 pilots, navigators and mechanics before it closed. From it came four Norwegian squadrons in the RAF. 330 was formed on Iceland on 25 April 1941 with Northrop N-3PB floatplanes and later flew Sunderlands; 331 formed on 21 July 1941 and 332 on 16 January 1942, both on Spitfires; 333 followed on 10 May 1943 with Catalinas en Mugs. The two fighter squadrons were together credited with 180 aircraft destroyed, for 131 aircraft lost and 71 pilots killed. On 10 November 1944 the Army and Navy air arms were merged into a single service: Luftforsvaret.

1949–1960: NATO, American aid and the U-2 bound for Bodø

Norway co-founded NATO in 1949, and from 1951 American military aid transformed the service. The Vampier had been its first jet in 1948–1949; the F-84 Thunderjet arrived in 1951 and 206 were delivered, followed by 179 F-86 Sabres. New bases were built with NATO money, among them Rygge and Andøya. The north mattered most: Norway shared a border with the Soviet Union, and its fighters met Soviet aircraft over the Norwegian and Barents Seas for four decades. The alliance was not always comfortable. On 1 May 1960 the U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union, and Khrushchev announced that its planned destination had been Bodø — and Norway found itself at the centre of the crisis.

1963–2022: Starfighter, F-5 and forty-two years of F-16

De F-104 Starfighter arrived in 1963 and served until 1983, 45 in all including 22 ex-Canadian CF-104s; 92 Northrop F-5s followed from 1966 and lasted, in the end, until 2007. In 1975 Norway joined Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands in choosing the F-16, and the first of 72 landed at Rygge on 15 January 1980. The F-16 was the backbone for 42 years and took Norway into combat for the first time since 1945: over Kosovo in 1999, over Afghanistan from 2002 to 2006, and over Libya in 2011, where six jets from Souda Bay flew roughly 600 sorties and dropped 569 to 588 bombs, depending on the count. For a force of that size it was a very large share of NATO’s bombs.

2008–2022: the F-35 and the fight over Bodø and Andøya

In 2008 Norway chose the F-35A and the Storting settled on 52 aircraft, costed at NOK 68 billion in 2015 prices. The harder decision came in 2012: the fighters would be concentrated at Ørland, with a forward quick reaction alert base at Evenes, and Bodø — the country’s biggest air station and the symbol of the northern watch — would lose its fighters. The fight over that decision, and over Andøya, which the Storting voted in 2016 to close, ran for years. The first F-35s reached Ørland on 3 November 2017, the F-35 took over the alert at Evenes on 6 January 2022 and the F-16 was retired the same day; 32 of the F-16s were sold to Romania, and a handful were pledged to Ukraine.

2022–2026: a complete F-35 fleet, and the NH90 failure

On 1 April 2025 the 51st and 52nd F-35s were delivered, making Norway the first partner nation to complete its order. Five P-8A Poseidons have replaced the P-3 Orion at Evenes, 16 AW101s the Sea Kings in the rescue service, and the mountain hangars at Bardufoss were reopened for dispersed F-35 operations in 2024. The failure of the decade is the NH90: 14 were ordered in 2001, the first came six years late, and in June 2022 Norway terminated the contract and sent the helicopters back; the manufacturer settled in November 2025. Six MH-60R Seahawks are replacing them from 2026–2027, but the Coast Guard lost years of helicopter cover. The service is small — about 3,500 people — and its budget is rising under the 2024 long-term plan.

What came next is the part of the story Norway tells with most pride, and rightly. On 10 November 1940 a training camp opened on Toronto Island in Canada: Little Norway, which moved to Muskoka in May 1942 and trained more than 2,500 pilots, navigators and mechanics before it closed.Royal Norwegian Air Force · verified 2026-09-28
In één oogopslag

The Royal Norwegian Air Force in numbers

Dienst

Inheemse naam
LuftforsvaretNorwegian, the only official language used for the service name; the English name is Royal Norwegian Air Force. Between 1953 and 1959 the service was called Flyvåpnet
Opgericht
10 November 1944The Army and Navy air arms, both dating from 1912, were merged in exile into a third service. Some English-language sources give 1 November; Store norske leksikon and Hærens flyvåpen’s own history give 10 November
Onderdeel van
Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret)The air branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces
Hoofdkwartier
RyggeThe Chief of the Air Force and the Air Staff are at Rygge, with 134 Air Wing. NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø controls allied air policing in the north
Chief of the Air Force
Maj Gen Øivind GunnerudIn post since August 2024
Minister of Defence
Tore O. SandvikLabour; in office by April 2025

Kracht

Personeel
About 3,500Store norske leksikon gives slightly over 3,500 in peacetime plus about 1,100 in national service. Forsvaret’s own figure for 2021 was 4,405: 2,461 military, 419 civilians and 1,525 soldiers in initial service. The counts differ because they include or exclude conscripts
Gevechtsvliegtuigen
  • F-35A Lightning II — 52 delivered

The last two were delivered on 1 April 2025. Some of the 52 are used for pilot training; Wikipedia gives 46 plus six, but no official split was verified

Maritieme patrouille
  • P-8A Poseidon — 5

333 Squadron at Evenes; the P-3 Orion was retired at the end of June 2023

Vervoer
  • C-130J-30 Hercules — 4

335 Squadron at Gardermoen. Norway also holds a share in the multinational C-17 fleet

Helikopters
  • AW101 SAR Queen — 16
  • Bell 412SP — 18
  • MH-60R Seahawk — 6 on order

The AW101s belong to the Ministry of Justice and are flown by 330 Squadron. The NH90 was withdrawn in 2022

Trainers
  • Saab MFI-15 Safari — 16

Of 20 bought from 1981; at the flying school at Bardufoss. Fighter pilots train on the F-35 in the United States

Begroting
Nearly NOK 10 billion (Air Force, 2026)Store norske leksikon’s figure for the service. The whole defence budget was NOK 110.1 billion in 2025, about 2.16 per cent of GDP

Infrastructuur

Air wings
  • 130 Air Wing — Sola, rescue helicopters
  • 131 Air Wing
  • 132 Air Wing — Ørland, F-35
  • 133 Air Wing — Evenes, P-8 and F-35 alert
  • 134 Air Wing — Rygge, helicopters, transport and training

Five air wings, per Store norske leksikon

Main air stations
  • Ørland — F-35 main base
  • Evenes — P-8, F-35 quick reaction alert
  • Rygge — headquarters, Bell 412
  • Gardermoen — C-130J
  • Bardufoss — helicopters, flying school
  • Sola — 330 Squadron

330 Squadron also keeps rescue detachments at Banak, Bodø, Ørland, Florø and Rygge

Closed as a fighter base
  • Bodø — 2022
  • Andøya — P-3 left 2023

Both follow the 2012 decision to concentrate fighters at Ørland; Andøya is now planned as a base for long-range drones

Quick reaction alert
Evenes, two F-35AsAt 15 minutes’ readiness since January 2022, taken over from the F-16s at Bodø
Grottenhangars
BardufossMountain hangars deactivated for 40 years were reopened in June 2024, when F-35s taxied inside
Allied air command
CAOC BodøOne of NATO’s regional air operations centres, at the former main air station
Structuur

How the Royal Norwegian Air Force is organised

Five air wings under the Chief of the Air Force. 132 Air Wing at Ørland flies the F-35 force and 133 Air Wing at Evenes keeps two of the jets on alert for the north, while the rescue, helicopter and transport wings are spread from Sola to Bardufoss. NATO’s air operations centre for the north sits at Bodø.

IG

Major General (generalmajor)Øivind GunnerudChief of the Air Force (Sjef Luftforsvaret) · in office since 2024
Koninklijke Noorse LuchtmachtLuftforsvaret
Personeel

Chief of the Air Force and the Air Staff

Sjef Luftforsvaret
Rygge

Responsible for force production. Forsvaret’s English page places the chief and the Air Staff at Rygge; its Norwegian pages place the air force leadership at Bodø.

Rescue

130 Air Wing

130 luftving
Sola

330 Squadron and its 16 AW101 SAR Queen rescue helicopters, owned by the Ministry of Justice and flown by the air force from Sola, Banak, Bodø, Ørland, Florø and Rygge.

Helicopters and training

131 Air Wing

131 luftving
Bardufoss

Called the Maritime Helicopter Wing until 2024: 337 Squadron, waiting for MH-60R Seahawks after the NH90 was withdrawn, a new army-support 336 Squadron with Bell 412s, and the Air Force Flying School.

Frontlinie

132 Air Wing

132 luftving
Ørland

The fighter wing: 331, 332 and TTT Squadrons with the F-35A at Ørland, which also send the jets that stand quick reaction alert at Evenes.

Maritime and alert

133 Air Wing

133 luftving
Evenes

Evenes: 333 Squadron with the P-8A Poseidon, the F-35 quick reaction alert for the north, and Andøya, the former maritime patrol base.

Support and transport

134 Air Wing

134 luftving
Rygge

Rygge and Gardermoen: 339 Squadron SOAS with Bell 412s for the special forces, 335 Squadron with the C-130J Hercules, and the Air Force Weapons School.

Allied

Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø

CAOC Bodø
Bodø

One of NATO’s regional air operations centres under Allied Air Command at Ramstein, inaugurated on 10 October 2025. It controls allied air policing in the north.

In dienst

What the Royal Norwegian Air Force flies today

Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.

Type Rol In dienst Sinds Eenheden Notities
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIIn dienst Stealth multirole gevechtsvliegtuig 52 2017 — All 52 ordered have been delivered, the last two on 1 April 2025. Some are used for pilot training in the United States; the split was not officially verified.
Boeing P-8A PoseidonIn dienst Maritime patrol and anti-submarine 5 2022 — Five ordered for about NOK 10 billion, delivered 2022–2023.
Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super HerculesIn dienst Tactisch transport 4 — Four in service with 335 Squadron at Gardermoen.
Leonardo AW101 SAR QueenIn dienst Zoek- en reddingshelikopter 16 2020 — All 16 in service after the last was delivered in June 2025.
Bell 412SPIn dienst Utility and special operations helicopter 18 — 18 in service.
Saab MFI-15 SafariIn dienst Basistrainer 16 1981 — 16 of the 20 bought remain.
F-35A52
Bell 41218
AW10116
MFI-15 Safari16
P-8A5
C-130J4

Op bestelling

Type Besteld Eerste levering Notities
Sikorsky MH-60R SeahawkOp bestelling 6 2026 Bought through the US government for about NOK 12 billion to replace the NH90 with the Maritime Helicopter Wing at Bardufoss, first for the Coast Guard and later for anti-submarine work.

Meer

Forsvaret first planned deliveries for 2025–2027; Teknisk Ukeblad later reported a one-year slip, with the first in 2026 and all six during 2027. Crews have trained with the Danish Seahawk squadron. Whether any had been delivered by September 2026 was not verified.
Voorheen in bedrijf

Every type the Royal Norwegian Air Force has retired

18 types, from the Curtiss Hawk 75A-8 to the Lockheed P-3B, P-3N and P-3C Orion. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.

Type Rol Piek Geserveerd Vervangen door Notities
Lockheed P-3B, P-3N en P-3C Orion Maritieme patrouille 6 1969–2023 P-8A Poseidon Six at retirement (four P-3C and two P-3N). Eleven were received in all: five P-3B in 1968, two in 1980 and four P-3C in 1989–1990; two P-3Bs were converted to P-3N and five sold.
Westland Sea King Mk 43 Zoek- en reddingshelikopter — 1973–2023 AW101 SAR Queen Number UNVERIFIED in this run.
General Dynamics / Fokker F-16A/B (MLU: F-16AM/BM) Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig 74 1980–2022 F-35A 74 delivered: 60 F-16A and 12 F-16B in 1980–1984, plus two F-16B attrition replacements (Store norske leksikon dates them 1987; an operators list says ordered 1989).

Meer

57 remained at retirement.
NHIndustries NH90 NFH Maritime helicopter (Coast Guard and frigates) 14 2011–2022 MH-60R Seahawk 14 ordered in 2001; the number delivered by 2022 was not verified (six by January 2016).
Dassault Falcon 20 Electronic warfare and transport 2 1972–2022 P-8A (in part) Two EW aircraft at retirement; the P-8 contract speaks of three Falcons being replaced.
Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter Fighter-bomber, later trainer 92 1966–2007 F-16 92 acquired from 1966: 78 F-5A and 14 F-5B.
Lockheed F-104G / TF-104G en Canadair CF-104 / CF-104D Starfighter Jachtvliegtuig en jachtbommenwerper 45 1963–1983 F-16 23 F-104G (including five TF-104G two-seaters) from 1963 and 22 ex-Canadian CF-104s (three two-seaters) acquired in 1973.
Grumman HU-16 Albatross Maritime patrol amphibian — 1961–1969 P-3B Orion Nummer niet geverifieerd.
North American F-86F en F-86K Sabre Day fighter and all-weather interceptor 179 1955–1967 F-104, F-5 115 F-86F (1957–1967) and 64 F-86K (1955–1967).
Geconsolideerde PBY Catalina Maritieme patrouille-vliegboot — 1943–1961 HU-16 Albatross Nummer niet geverifieerd.
Republic F-84E/G Thunderjet Jachtbommenwerper 206 1951–1960 F-86 206 delivered: six F-84E and 200 F-84G.
de Havilland Vampire F.3, FB.52 en T.55 Jachtvliegtuig en jachtbommenwerper 62 1949–1957 F-84 20 F.3 interceptors, 36 FB.52 fighter-bombers and six T.55 two-seat trainers.
Supermarine Spitfire (oorlogsmarkeringen; naoorlogse LF.IXe en PR.XI) Jachtvliegtuig en verkenningsvliegtuig — — Vampire, F-84 Numbers not verified. 331 and 332 Squadrons flew Spitfires in RAF service; the first Spitfire date is not verified.
de Havilland Mosquito II en VI Maritime strike and reconnaissance — 1943–1945 — Nummer niet geverifieerd.
Kort Sunderland Maritieme patrouille-vliegboot — 1943–1945 — Nummer niet geverifieerd.
Northrop N-3PB Patrol floatplane 24 1941–1943 Sunderland 24 ordered by the Norwegian government in exile.
Gloster Gladiator Tweedekker gevechtsvliegtuig — — — Seven combat-ready at Fornebu on 9 April 1940; the total bought was not verified.
Curtiss Hawk 75A-8 Fighter and trainer 35 1940– — 35 ordered; used at Little Norway.
Luchtbases

Where the Royal Norwegian Air Force flies from

Every pin is an active air station. Bodø has lost its fighters and Andøya its maritime patrol aircraft, though both are still active, and 330 Squadron’s rescue helicopters fly from six bases along the coast, one of them the civil airport at Florø. The one closed entry, Little Norway, the wartime training camp in Canada, carries no pin.

Actieve luchtmachtbasis Gesloten of reserverenKlik op een speld om de basispagina te openen.
Baseren ICAO Status Startbaan Eenheden en vliegtuigen
Luchtmachtbasis ØrlandTrøndelag ENOL Actief 15/333,278 m
Luchtstation AndøyaNordland ENAN Actief 14/321,989 masfalt/beton
Banak Air Force BaseFinnmark ENNA Actief 16/342,785 masfalt/beton
  • 330 Squadron, Banak detachment: AW101 SAR Queen
Luchtmachtbasis BardufossTroms ENDU Actief 10/282.995 m
  • 337 Squadron (337 skvadron): MH-60R Seahawk (on order)
  • 336 Squadron (336 skvadron): Bell 412SP
  • 339 Squadron, Bardufoss element: Bell 412SP
  • Air Force Flying School (Luftforsvarets flygeskole): Saab Safari
Luchtmachtbasis BodøNordland ENBO Actief 07/252,794 masfalt/beton
Luchtstation EvenesNordland ENEV Actief 17/352,812 m
  • 333 Squadron (333 skvadron): P-8A Poseidon
  • F-35 quick reaction alert detachment: F-35A Lightning II
Florø rescue helicopter baseVestland ENFL Actief 07/251,263 m
  • 330 Squadron, Florø detachment: AW101 SAR Queen
Gardermoen Air StationAkershus ENGM Actief 01L/19R3.600 masfalt/beton01R/19L2,950 masfalt/beton
KjellerAkershus ENKJ Actief 12/301,357 m
  • Army Air Service (Hærens flyvåpen)
Rygge Air StationØstfold ENRY Actief 12/302,989 m
  • 339 Squadron SOAS (339 skvadron): Bell 412SP
  • 330 Squadron, Rygge detachment: AW101 SAR Queen
Sola Air Force BaseRogaland ENZV Actief 10/282,452 m18/362,705 m
  • 330 Squadron (330 skvadron): AW101 SAR Queen
  • AW101 Test and Evaluation Section: AW101 SAR Queen
Little NorwayOntario, Canada Gesloten in 1945. —
  • Flyvåpnenes treningsleir (Little Norway)

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Slagorde

Who is stationed where in the Royal Norwegian Air Force

Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. 330, 331, 332 and 333 Squadrons were the four Norwegian squadrons of the wartime RAF, and all four still fly. Dat zeggen de geallieerde eenheden.

Luchtmachtbasis Ørland · ENOL132 Air Wing
331 Squadron (331 skvadron)Jachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
F-35A Lightning II
332 Squadron (332 skvadron)Jachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
F-35A Lightning II
TTT Squadron (TTT skvadron)Jachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
F-35A Lightning II
330 Squadron, Ørland detachmentSearch and rescue helicopter detachment · active
AW101 SAR Queen
NATO Airborne Early Warning forward operating locationAllied AEW&C forward operating location · allied
E-3A Sentry
338 Squadron (338 skvadron)1954–2019
F-84 Thunderjet, F-86F Sabre, Northrop F-5, F-16A/B Fighting Falcon
Luchtstation Evenes · ENEV133 Air Wing
333 Squadron (333 skvadron)Maritiem patrouille-eskader · actief
P-8A Poseidon
F-35 quick reaction alert detachmentFighter detachment (QRA) · active
F-35A Lightning II
Luchtmachtbasis Bodø · ENBOLuftforsvarets base Bodø
330 Squadron, Bodø detachmentSearch and rescue helicopter detachment · active
AW101 SAR Queen
331 Squadron (331 skvadron)1955–2022
F-16A/B Fighting Falcon
Luchtmachtbasis Bardufoss · ENDU131 Air Wing
337 Squadron (337 skvadron)Maritime (coast guard) helicopter squadron · active
MH-60R Seahawk (on order)
336 Squadron (336 skvadron)Army support helicopter squadron · active
Bell 412SP
339 Squadron, Bardufoss elementArmy support helicopter detachment · active
Bell 412SP
Air Force Flying School (Luftforsvarets flygeskole)Vliegschool · actief
Saab Safari
Rygge Air Station · ENRY134 Air Wing
339 Squadron SOAS (339 skvadron)Special operations aviation squadron · active
Bell 412SP
330 Squadron, Rygge detachmentSearch and rescue helicopter detachment · active
AW101 SAR Queen
Gardermoen Air Station · ENGMStasjonsgruppe Gardermoen, under 134 Air Wing
335 Squadron (335 skvadron)Tactisch transporteskader · actief
C-130J-30 Hercules
Sola Air Force Base · ENZV130 Air Wing
330 Squadron (330 skvadron)Search and rescue helicopter squadron (headquarters) · active
AW101 SAR Queen
AW101 Test and Evaluation SectionTest and evaluation unit · active
AW101 SAR Queen
Banak Air Force Base · ENNALuftforsvarets base Banak
330 Squadron, Banak detachmentSearch and rescue helicopter detachment · active
AW101 SAR Queen
Florø rescue helicopter base · ENFL130 Air Wing
330 Squadron, Florø detachmentSearch and rescue helicopter detachment · active
AW101 SAR Queen
Luchtstation Andøya · ENAN133 Air Wing
333 Squadron (333 skvadron)1963–2023
P-3B/P-3C/P-3N Orion
Kjeller · ENKJLuftforsvaret
Army Air Service (Hærens flyvåpen)1912–1940
—

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Tijdlijn

Royal Norwegian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1912

The Army and the Navy each receive their first military aircraft, as gifts; the Army air arm settles at Kjeller.

1913

The Storting formally organises Hærens flyvåpen, the Army Air Service.

1938

26 March: first landing at Bardufoss, the northernmost military airfield before the war.

1940

9 April: seven Gladiators of Jagevingen fight the German invasion over Fornebu. 10 June: the Norwegian campaign ends. 10 November: Little Norway opens on Toronto Island.

1941

25 April: 330 Squadron forms on Iceland with Northrop N-3PBs. 21 July: 331 Squadron forms at Catterick.

1942

16 January: 332 Squadron forms at Catterick. In May Little Norway moves to Muskoka.

1943

10 May: 333 Squadron is formed, with Catalinas and Mosquitos.

1944

10 November: the Army and Navy air arms merge into Luftforsvaret, a third service.

1949

Norway co-founds NATO; the Vampire, first delivered in 1948, enters service as the first jet.

1951

American aid begins the NATO build-up; the first of 206 F-84 Thunderjets arrive.

1960

1 May: the U-2 shot down over the Soviet Union was bound for Bodø, Khrushchev reveals on 7 May.

1963

The F-104G Starfighter enters service; 333 Squadron moves permanently to Andøya.

1966

The first of 92 Northrop F-5s arrive.

1973

25 April: 330 Squadron is re-formed with Sea King rescue helicopters.

1980

15 January: the first Norwegian F-16 lands at Rygge.

1999

Norwegian F-16s take part in NATO’s air campaign over Kosovo — the first combat since 1945.

2008

The F-35A is chosen as the new fighter; 52 are later approved.

2011

Six F-16s at Souda Bay fly against Libya from March to the end of July, dropping 569 to 588 bombs.

2012

15 March: a C-130J crashes on Kebnekaise, killing five. The Storting decides to concentrate the fighters at Ørland with a QRA base at Evenes.

2017

3 November: the first F-35As arrive at Ørland.

2022

6 January: the F-35 takes over the alert at Evenes and the F-16 retires. 24 February: the first P-8 lands. June: the NH90 contract is terminated. 4 November: 32 F-16s sold to Romania.

2023

30 June: the P-3 Orion retires and 333 Squadron moves to Evenes. November: the Sea King is replaced by the AW101.

2024

June: F-35s use the reopened mountain hangars at Bardufoss. August: Maj Gen Øivind Gunnerud becomes Chief of the Air Force.

2025

1 April: the 51st and 52nd F-35As are delivered, completing the fleet. June: the 16th AW101. November: settlement with NHIndustries over the NH90.

Gevechtsgeschiedenis

Every war the Royal Norwegian Air Force has fought

Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.

8conflicten
1940Eerst
131Vliegtuig verloren
71Gedood
  • The Norwegian campaign 1940 The Army and Navy air arms resisted the German invasion with a handful of modern aircraft, then evacuated to Britain
  • 331 and 332 Squadrons in the RAF 1941–1945 Two Norwegian Spitfire squadrons flew in the RAF from bases in Scotland and England, including sweeps and escorts over occupied Europe
  • 330 and 333 Squadrons: the maritime war 1941–1945 Two Norwegian squadrons flew anti-submarine patrols, convoy cover, shipping reconnaissance and special operations to occupied Norway
  • The Cold War on the northern flank 1949–1991 Norwegian fighters and patrol aircraft watched NATO’s only border with the Soviet Union, intercepting Soviet aircraft and tracking the Northern Fleet
  • Operatie Allied Force 1999 Norwegian F-16s took part in NATO’s air campaign — the first Norwegian combat operation since the Second World War

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Uit het tijdschrift

Royal Norwegian Air Force news from Afterburner

Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Deze lijst wordt automatisch vernieuwd — nieuwe Afterburner-verhalen verschijnen hier automatisch.

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Vragen en antwoorden

Everything people ask about the Royal Norwegian Air Force

Hoe heet de Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht in het Noors?
Luftforsvaret. It is the official name used by the Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret) and by Store norske leksikon; the English name is the Royal Norwegian Air Force, which is also the title of the English Wikipedia article. Between 1953 and 1959 the service was briefly called Flyvåpnet before reverting to Luftforsvaret.
Welke vliegtuigen gebruikt de Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht in 2026?
The combat fleet is 52 F-35A Lightning II fighters. Alongside them are five P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, four C-130J Hercules transports, 16 AW101 SAR Queen rescue helicopters, 18 Bell 412SP helicopters and 16 Saab MFI-15 Safari trainers. Six MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopters are on order to replace the cancelled NH90.
Hoeveel F-35's heeft Noorwegen?
52. Norway chose the F-35A in 2008, the first arrived at Ørland on 3 November 2017, and the 51st and 52nd were delivered on 1 April 2025, making Norway the first partner nation to complete its order. The programme was costed at NOK 68 billion in 2015 prices. Some of the jets are used for pilot training in the United States.
Wanneer werd de Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht opgericht?
Op 10 november 1944 werden de Army Air Service en de Naval Air Service, beide opgericht in 1912, in ballingschap samengevoegd tot een derde dienst. Sommige Engelstalige bronnen vermelden 1 november 1944; Store norske leksikon noemt 10 november.
Wie heeft het bevel over de Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht?
Major General Øivind Gunnerud has been Chief of the Air Force (Sjef Luftforsvaret) since August 2024. He and the Air Staff are based at Rygge. The Minister of Defence is Tore O. Sandvik.
Waar is het hoofdkwartier van de Koninklijke Noorse Luchtmacht gevestigd?
At Rygge Air Station in south-eastern Norway, where the Chief of the Air Force, the Air Staff and 134 Air Wing sit. NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Bodø controls allied air policing in the north.
Where are Norway’s F-35s based?
At Ørland Air Station on the Trondheimsfjord, home of 132 Air Wing with 331, 332 and TTT Squadrons. Two F-35s stand quick reaction alert at Evenes in the north, ready to be airborne within 15 minutes, and in June 2024 F-35s began using the reopened mountain hangars at Bardufoss for dispersal.
Why did Norway close Bodø as a fighter base?
Because in 2012 the Storting decided to concentrate the new F-35 fleet at Ørland, with a forward alert base at Evenes, rather than keep two fighter bases. It was a bitter political fight: Bodø had been the main northern base for the whole Cold War. The last F-16s left when the F-35 took over the alert in January 2022 and the main air station closed; Bodø still hosts NATO’s air operations centre and a rescue helicopter detachment.
Wanneer heeft Noorwegen de F-16 buiten gebruik gesteld?
On 6 January 2022, after 42 years, when the F-35A took over quick reaction alert at Evenes. Norway received 74 F-16s, the first landing at Rygge on 15 January 1980. 32 were sold to Romania under a contract of 4 November 2022, with the first handed over at Rygge on 1 December 2023.
Heeft Noorwegen F-16's aan Oekraïne gegeven?
Yes, it pledged them. On 24 August 2023 Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Norway would provide five to ten F-16s, depending on how many could be made operational. The exact number delivered was not verified for this page.
Hoeveel bommen heeft Noorwegen in 2011 op Libië laten vallen?
Between 569 and 588, depending on the source and the period counted. Store norske leksikon gives 583 sorties and 569 guided bombs; figures cited on Wikipedia give 588 bombs on 615 NATO missions from 31 March to 1 August, plus 19 bombs on 32 missions under the earlier Operation Odyssey Dawn. Six F-16s flew from Souda Bay, Crete, and struck Gaddafi’s compound in Tripoli on the night of 25 April.
What happened to Norway’s NH90 helicopters?
Norway cancelled them. It ordered 14 NH90s in 2001 for delivery in 2005–2008; the first arrived only in December 2011, and in June 2022 the Defence Material Agency terminated the contract and returned the helicopters. In November 2025 NHIndustries agreed to pay 305 million euro plus 70 million euro in bank guarantees. Six MH-60R Seahawks are replacing them.
Wanneer krijgt Noorwegen de MH-60R Seahawk?
From 2026. Six were bought through the US government for about NOK 12 billion; the original plan was 2025–2027, but deliveries slipped by a year, with all six due during 2027. They will fly from Bardufoss with 337 Squadron, first for the Coast Guard.
Wat verving de P-3 Orion in Noorwegen?
Five Boeing P-8A Poseidons, bought for about NOK 10 billion. The first, named Viking, landed at Evenes on 24 February 2022, and the P-3 Orion left service at the end of June 2023 when 333 Squadron moved from Andøya to Evenes.
Wat was Klein Noorwegen?
The Norwegian air forces’ training camp in Canada, opened on Toronto Island on 10 November 1940 and moved to Muskoka in May 1942. It trained more than 2,500 pilots, navigators and mechanics for the Norwegian squadrons in the RAF, and closed in 1945.
Welke Noorse squadrons hebben in de RAF gevochten?
Four: 330 (formed 25 April 1941 on Iceland, floatplanes and Sunderlands), 331 (21 July 1941, Spitfires), 332 (16 January 1942, Spitfires) and 333 (10 May 1943, Catalinas en Mugs). 331 and 332 were credited together with 180 aircraft destroyed, for 131 aircraft lost and 71 pilots killed. All four still exist.
Heeft Noorwegen in 1940 de Duitse invasie vanuit de lucht bestreden?
Yes. On 9 April 1940 seven Gloster Gladiators of the Army’s fighter flight took off from Fornebu against the German air armada and fought until their ammunition ran out. How many German aircraft they destroyed is disputed: Norwegian accounts credit up to five, while the English-language campaign history records a single Ju 52 lost at Fornebu.
What was the U-2 incident and why does it involve Bodø?
On 1 May 1960 the American U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union. On 7 May Khrushchev announced that the flight’s planned landing point had been Bodø airfield in northern Norway, which drew Norway directly into the crisis.
Hoe vaak onderschept Noorwegen Russische vliegtuigen?
Often, but the current annual numbers are not published in the sources checked. During the Cold War Norwegian fighters are reported to have made 500 to 600 interceptions of Soviet aircraft a year. Since January 2022 two F-35As at Evenes have held the alert, ready to be airborne within 15 minutes.
Heeft Noorwegen met de F-104 Starfighter gevlogen?
Yes, from 1963 to 1983: 23 F-104G (including five two-seat TF-104G) and 22 ex-Canadian CF-104s acquired in 1973, 45 in all. The F-104 Starfighter was replaced by the F-16.
Heeft Noorwegen met de F-5 gevlogen?
Yes. Norway acquired 92 Northrop F-5s from 1966, 78 F-5A and 14 F-5B. The last F-5 squadron was disbanded in 2000, and the type flew for test purposes until 2007.
What was Norway’s first jet fighter?
The de Havilland Vampier, delivered from 1948 and in service from 1949 to 1957: 20 F.3 fighters, 36 FB.52 fighter-bombers and six T.55 trainers. It was followed by 206 F-84 Thunderjets from 1951 and 179 F-86 Sabres.
Does Norway keep aircraft inside mountains?
Yes, at Bardufoss. Its mountain hangars were deactivated for about 40 years, then reopened in mid-June 2024, when F-35s landed and taxied inside as part of the plan to disperse the fighter fleet in a crisis.
What happened in the Kebnekaise Hercules crash?
On 15 March 2012 a Royal Norwegian Air Force C-130J Hercules crashed near the summit of Kebnekaise in northern Sweden. All five people on board were killed. Norway operates four C-130J Herculess with 335 Squadron at Gardermoen.
Who flies Norway’s rescue helicopters?
330 Squadron of the Air Force, from six bases: Banak, Bodø, Ørland, Florø, Sola and Rygge. It flies 16 AW101 SAR Queens, owned by the Ministry of Justice; the last was delivered in June 2025. They replaced the Sea King, which the squadron flew from 1973 until November 2023.
How many people serve in the Royal Norwegian Air Force?
About 3,500 in peacetime, according to Store norske leksikon, plus about 1,100 in national service. Forsvaret’s own count for 2021 was 4,405 including conscripts.
How big is Norway’s defence budget?
The defence budget was NOK 110.1 billion in 2025, about 2.16 per cent of GDP. Store norske leksikon puts the Air Force’s own share for 2026 at nearly NOK 10 billion. The long-term defence plan for 2025–2036 was presented as the Norwegian Defence Pledge on 5 April 2024.

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Figures verified 2026-09-28. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.

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