On Thursday, three new Norwegian F-35s will arrive at Ørland Air Station. Norway will then have received 22 fighter aircraft and will have an initial operational capability with the F-35 during the year.
The planes take off from Lockheed Martin’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, in the morning Norwegian time, and land in Norway in the evening.
The Air Force has so far received twelve aircraft to Norway and seven in the US, and is undergoing testing and training at Ørland Air Station, and at Luke Air Force Base.
In 2022, the F-35 will take over the F-16 emergency mission, which will then be phased out, and by 2025 the Air Force will be fully operational with all fighter aircraft.
Norway has ordered 52 F-35 fighter aircraft. They can perform far more missions without the support of other aircraft or ground stations than the F-16 can.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
