Norwegian defence force can save billions on fewer officers and making smarter purchases

The Norwegian defence will be cheaper and more efficient without Norwegian special requirements for weapons and so many high-ranking officers, a new report concluded.

By acting smarter, the Armed Forces can save up to NOK 3 billion annually, according to the Defence Research Institute (FFI) in a new report mentioned by Aftenposten.

According to the report, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces buys expensive and advanced weapons and that the operating costs of these weapons are not taken into account.

“Internally, many people believe that they have come a long way in operating more efficiently. However, we believe that the potential is still great for saving more money,” said research manager Sverre Kvalvik at FFI to Aftenposten.

In sum, the FFI report proposed savings opportunities in 28 areas throughout the defence sector between 2021 and 2024.

“The 28 profit areas will in total be able to generate savings of between 1.6 and 3.0 billion kroner per year,” said the report.

One of the proposals is to significantly reduce the number of officers with the ranks of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel.

Nevertheless, the biggest savings come from buying goods and services in a smarter way. This applies to the Ministry of Defence, the Army, Defence Buildings, Defence Materials and FFI itself.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today