Since August, Norwegian forces have supported the protection of NATO and Polish borders as part of an integrated air and missile defence mission led by NATO’s Allied Air Command (AIRCOM). With participation from several Alliance members, the deployment has strengthened NATO’s eastern flank in response to heightened security risks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The deployment marked the first time Norway and the Netherlands jointly conducted an operational mission with F-35 combat aircraft. “The Netherlands and Norway started cooperation on fighter aircraft back in 1983. It began with the F-16 and evolved from there, with joint weapons instructor training as the driving force. We know many of the Dutch personnel well by now, and that certainly contributed to the fact that we are now concluding a successful operational deployment together,” said Lieutenant Colonel Morten Hanche, commander of the Norwegian detachment and head of 332 Squadron at Ørland.
Hanche stated that both countries are relatively small nations but leading users of the F-35 in Europe, making deeper cooperation a natural step to achieve better resource utilisation and a stronger shared defence capacity. During the deployment, the cooperation expanded further, with Dutch pilots flying Norwegian aircraft and vice versa, and maintenance integration now also under way, which the Norwegian Armed Forces describe as unique globally and evidence that bilateral cooperation is progressing.
Norway and the Netherlands have now concluded their contribution to the protection of Polish airspace. This marks nearly a full year of Norwegian military presence in Poland, which has also included NASAMS air defence units, two separate F-35 deployments, and the construction of a training base in Legio.
The purpose of the F-35 detachment was to maintain continuous readiness to prevent missiles, aircraft or drones from causing harm in Poland or other NATO states. “It has been a rewarding and motivating mission for us. It feels meaningful to contribute to European security, and we are ready and motivated to return,” Hanche said.
