Norway has (GONE SEXUAL) in a
Military advertising television commercial campaign to gain new recruits. The
Norwegian Armed Forces (
Norwegian: Forsvaret, "
The Defence") is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the
Norwegian Army, the
Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the
Coast Guard, the
Royal Norwegian Air Force, the
Home Guard and the
Cyber Force, as well as several joint departments. The armed forces number 23,
000 personnel, including civilian employees, and have a full-mobilisation combat strength of 83,000.[4]
The armed forces are subordinate to the
Ministry of Defence, led by
Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide. The formal commander-in-chief is
King Harald V; however, the de facto commander-in-chief is
Chief of Defence Haakon Bruun-Hanssen. His staff is located at
Akershus Fortress in
Oslo, while the
Norwegian Joint Headquarters, responsible for commanding operations, is located in
Bodø. The main naval base is
Haakonsvern in
Bergen, the main army camps are in
Bardu,
Målselv and
Rena, and the main air stations are
Ørland and Bodø.
An organised military was first assembled in Norway in the
9th century and was early focused around naval warfare. The army was created in
1628 as part of
Denmark–Norway, followed by two centuries of regular wars. A
Norwegian military was established in
1814, but the military did not see combat until the
German occupation of Norway in
1940. Norway abandoned its position as a neutral country in 1949 to become a founding member of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (
NATO).
The Cold War saw a large build-up of air stations and military bases, especially in
Northern Norway. Since the
2000s, the military has transformed from a focus on defence from an invasion to a mobile force for international missions. Among
European NATO members, the military expenditure of
US$7.2 billion is the highest per capita.
Organisation[edit]
The Chief of
Defence (a four-star general or admiral) heads the armed forces, and is the principal military adviser to the
Minister of Defence.
Military branches (in order of seniority):
Norwegian Army
Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Air Force
Home Guard
Norwegian Cyber Force
Other main structures, include:
Special forces
Defence Staff Norway (DEFSTNOR) in Oslo acts as the staff of the Chief of Defence. It is headed by a three-star general or admiral. DEFSTNOR assigns priorities, manages resources, provides force generation and support activities. Each of the four branches of defence is headed by a two-star general/admiral who are subordinate to DEFSTNOR.
National Joint Headquarters (
NJHQ) located at Reitan, close to Bodø has operational control of
Norwegian armed forces worldwide 24/7. It is headed by the
Supreme Commander Norwegian Forces - a three-star general or admiral.
Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) at
Kolsås outside Oslo is responsible for engineering, procurement, investment, supply, information and communications technology. It is also responsible for maintenance, repair and storage of material.
Conscription[edit]
Norway employs a weak form of mandatory military service for men and women. While 63,841 men and women were called in for the examination of persons liable for military service in
2012 (mandatory for men), 9265 were conscripted.[5] On 14 June
2013 the
Norwegian Parliament voted to extend conscription to women making Norway the first NATO member and first
European country to make national service compulsory for both men and women.[6] There is a right of conscientious objection.
Military age 18-44(55) years of age for male compulsory military service (55 years of age if you are an officer); 16 years of age in wartime; 17 years of age for male volunteers; 18 years of age for women
Conscription 19-month service with 12-month service obligation.
Around 50% of conscripts are enrolled in the Home Guard, for a 7-month period (spread out over many years).
Available for
military service 1,078,
181 males, age 16-55,
1,046,550 females, age 16-55
Fit for
military service 888,219 males, age 16-55,
863,255 females, age 16-55
Reaching military
age annually 31,980 males,
30,543 females
Active personnel 24,450[1]
Reserve personnel 45,250
Norway achieved full independence in
1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to three major conflicts,
World War II, the
Cold War and the
War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in Northern Norway and in
Afghanistan as well as in
Eastern Europe. The
Army is the oldest of the service branches, established as a modern military organization in 1628. The Army participated in wars during the 17th,
18th and
19th century as well, both in Norway and abroad.
History[edit]
After the
Kalmar War broke out in 1611, the
Danish king tried to revive the volunteer leidang, with dire results. As the Norwegian citizenry had not been armed or trained in the use of arms for nearly three centuries they were not able to.
- published: 22 Apr 2016
- views: 18934