Norwegian Armed Forces

Norwegian Armed Forces
Forsvaret
Founded 9th Century
Current form 1990
Service branches Army
Navy (Coast Guard)
Air Force
Home Guard
Cyber Defence
Headquarters Akershus Fortress
Leadership
Commander-in-chief King Harald V
Minister of Defence Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, (H)
Chief of Defence Admiral Haakon Bruun-Hanssen
Manpower
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
Expenditures
Budget US$7.2 billion (2014)[2]
Percent of GDP 1.4% of GDP (2012 est.) List of countries by military expenditures
Related articles
History

World War II
* Battle of the Atlantic
* Norwegian heavy water sabotage
Cold War
Korean war
* NORMASH
Congo Crisis
Falklands War [3]
Gulf War
International Force for East Timor
War in Kosovo
* Operation Allied Force
* Operation Joint Guardian
* Incident at Pristina airport
2001 Macedonia conflict
* Operation Essential Harvest
War in Afghanistan
* Task Force K-Bar
* Operation Enduring Freedom
* Operation Harekate Yolo
* Operation Anaconda
* Operation Jacana
* Operation Pickaxe-Handle
* Operation chashme naw
* Operation Karez
* 2008 Kabul Serena Hotel attack
* Release of hostage Christina Meier
* April 2012 Afghanistan attacks
* Hostage incident at Qargha Reservoir / Lake Qara june 2012
* Uzbin Valley ambush (after action only)
* Counterinsurgency in Northern Afghanistan
Operation Ocean Shield
Operation Atalanta
Libyan no-fly zone
Operation Odyssey Dawn
Operation Ocean Shield
Destruction of Syria's chemical weapons


** A selection of engagements / missions only **

The Norwegian Armed Forces (Norwegian: Forsvaret, "The Defence") is the military organization 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-mobilization combat strength of 83,000.[4] Norway employs a weak form of mandatory military service for women and men. 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] Among european NATO members, the military expenditure of US$7.2 billion is the highest per capita.

The armed forces are subordinate 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 organized 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 Organization (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.

Organization

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):

Other main structures, include:

Structure

Joint

Norwegian soldier during a field exercise

Norwegian Army

From 1 August 2009 the Norwegian Army changed its structure:[7][8]

Royal Norwegian Navy

Royal Norwegian Air Force

Norwegian Home Guard

Norwegian Cyber Defense Force

Small arms and handguns

References

  1. ↑ The Military Balance 2013 (2013 ed.). International Institute for Security Studies. 14 May 2013. pp. 160–162. ISBN 978-1857436808.
  2. ↑ "The Norwegian Defence Budget for 2014". October 15, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Norsk lyttestasjon viktig brikke i Falklandskrigen". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Tall og statistikk - Forsvaret.no". NDF. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  5. ↑ "NDF official numbers". NDF. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  6. ↑ "Norway becomes first NATO country to draft women into military". Reuters. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  7. ↑ "Front page - Mil.no" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Front page - Mil.no" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Perfecting the Javelin simulator - the new anti-armor weapon is being phased in this year". Hærens Styrker. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Norwegian Armed Forces.