• Ar
  • Es
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Europe
  4. Norway suffers lack of technicians in defense air force, US to help
Europe

Norway suffers lack of technicians in defense air force, US to help

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 15 May 17:52

In light of the circumstances, Norway is forced to receive technicians for their prized fleet of F-35s abroad, and the staff will be from US-based arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin. 

  • Norwegian flags flutter at Karl Johans street in Oslo, Norway, on May 31, 2017 (Reuters)
    Norwegian flags at Karl Johans Street in Oslo, Norway, on May 31, 2017 (Reuters)

Norway's Defense Commission has confirmed a mass shortage of mechanics and technicians in the country's air force, which according to its recent report, has accelerated the shutdown of the air base at Bodo and the entire F-35 fleet to be distributed between air stations, Orland and Evenes.
 
"The air force has challenges in recruiting and retaining enough technical personnel for the combat aircraft," Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram confessed to local media. "We cannot put ourselves in a situation where the planes are left on the ground due to a lack of technical personnel. It is necessary to implement measures in both the short and long term."

In light of the circumstances, the Scandinavian nation is forced to receive technicians for their prized fleet of F-35s abroad, and the staff will be from US-based arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin. 

According to Gram, this will be valid until the end of 2023 and is only a temporary fix, as a proposal by the government to set aside nearly NOK 60 million ($5.6 million) is out to bring enough technicians for the F-35s from the country's four aviation schools, including the new Fosen school.

Read next: Norway hit with largest strike in two decades as inflation soars

The proposal, however, still does not prove sufficient since "an aviation specialist or technician trained takes time. It takes up to five years before a technician is put into production. Then it takes even more time before you get the hands-on know-how with F-35s," according to union representative Sigurd Myrvoll. 

Myrvoll, skilled with 30 years of experience at Bodo Air Base, clarified to local media that the lack of technicians despite having the highest-quality gear makes Norway weak. 
 
"This is a declaration of bankruptcy that we have to hire personnel from Lockheed Martin to keep the F-35 in the air. We buy combat aircraft for NOK 100 billion [$9.3 billion], but we don't have the personnel to operate them ourselves. It costs enormous sums to hire personnel," he stressed.
 
There are too few employees per plane, according to Myrvoll, in Norway as opposed to other European nations, which was further exacerbated by the shut down of Bodo Air Base, which originally housed 110 aviation workers and flight technicians.

So far, 52 F-35 jets have been ordered by Norway - making it the largest military purchase in the history of the country and Oslo is also due to receive six new F-35s annually from Lockheed Martin. 

This comes after Lockheed Martin was awarded last month by the US Department of Defense a $7.8 billion contract modification for 126 F-35 multi-role aircraft.

Just in the third quarter of last year, the manufacturer reported net sales of $16.6 billion, making for a year-on-year increase of more than $600 million. Meanwhile, "Net earnings in the third quarter of 2022 were $1.8 billion, or $6.71 per share, compared to $614 million, or $2.21 per share, in the third quarter of 2021," the company added.

Read more: Camp Viking: New UK base in Norway for Royal Marine Commandos

  • United States
  • Staff shortages
  • lockheed martin
  • F-35
  • Norway

Trending Now

All
Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets

Germany to acquire 35 F-35s from US amid Ukraine crisis

Most Read

Haaretz

Mossad agent killed in Italy part of anti-Iran mission: Israeli media

  • Europe
  • 3 Jun
Actuating an Israeli ‘Solution’ – via an al-Aqsa Emergency

Actuating an Israeli ‘Solution’ – via an al-Aqsa Emergency

  • Analysis
  • 4 Jun
Israeli occupation forces are informed of the details of the operation near the Ajwa border crossing in Occuppied Palestine, June 3 2023. (Reuters)

'Unexpected humiliating blow': Israeli media on Egypt border operation

  • Palestine
  • 4 Jun
Press or propaganda? How Western-propped media groups drive public opinion, policy, and regime change around the world

Press or propaganda? How Western-propped media groups drive public opinion, policy, and regime change around the world

  • Analysis
  • 4 Jun

Read this

All
This Thursday, June 14, 2018, file photo, shows the FBI seal at a news conference at FBI headquarters in Washington. (AP)
US & Canada

FBI helped Ukraine censor social media accounts: Twitter files

  • 7 Jun
James G. Rickards. (WIkipedia)
Europe

Ex-CIA advisor predicts date when US dollar hegemony will collapse

  • 7 Jun
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a news conference at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 16, 2022. (Reuters)
Europe

No point in discussing NATO bid if Kiev loses in conflict: Stoltenberg

  • 7 Jun
Front page of The Daily Telegraph, leading with stories about the publication of the book "Spare". (AFP)
Europe

Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph newspapers put up for auction

  • 7 Jun
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS