The army is too small to defend Norway in a conflict until NATO reinforcements are in place, says Rune Jakobsen, commander of the Armed Forces operational headquarters.
“If we are to have the ability to both contribute to NATO and to have a credible defence at home at the same time, we will need another brigade. Then we must renew the army’s material and increase the fighting power and endurance. Now the Army is too small for the lowest task: defending Norwegian territory until Allied reinforcements arrive,” Jakobsen tells VG.
On October 8th, Defence Secretary Haakon Bruun-Hanssen will give his professional military advice to Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Hansen (Høyre/Conservative Party).
Jakobsen believes that the Armed Forces cannot cope with a continuation of the current level.
“The main dilemma for the entire Armed Forces, if we are to proceed with the same resources that we have now, is that we are unable to hold out until Allied aid arrives. So that’s the first thing we have to fix,” he adds.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
