With its F-35s in hand, Norway is now well equipped to defend its skies aerially.
Earlier this month, Norway became the first Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) partner nation to fulfill its F-35 program of record. Upon completing the delivery of the fifty-first and fifty-second F-35As to the Royal Norwegian Air Force, Norway is now well equipped to defend its skies aerially. Norwegian minister of finance Tore O. Sanvik noted that “The aircraft ensure that we can safeguard Norwegian sovereignty and maintain even better control over our areas on land, at sea and in the air.” Other Norwegian officials mirrored this rhetoric, adding that the sophistication of the fifth-generation fighter will undoubtedly play a critical role in supporting NATO missions.
In March, a new 5,000-square-meter maintenance facility was established in the city of Rygge to facilitate the maintenance and upkeep of the nation’s Lightning II jets. While manufacturer Lockheed Martin has refuted the rumors surrounding an American “kill-switch” to the JSF program, Norway still aims to be capable of performing work on its fighter fleets domestically.
The kill-switch rumor circulated earlier this year following U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision to terminate military aid and assistance to Ukraine (and then later restart them). Although the Trump administration never suggested that it would interfere with the F-35’s use by other nations, the kill-switch myth still persisted.
A Brief Overview of the F-35 Lightning II
The Joint Strike Fighter program was derived from the 1980s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Advanced Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing study. Lockheed’s infamous Skunk Works division was tasked with developing a singular platform that could fulfill the varying defense needs required by both the Air Force and Marine Corps. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the Navy also required a new fighter series. All the big-name manufacturers, including Boeing, Northrop, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed, submitted proposals for the new multirole airframe that would replace the Harrier, the F/A-18, the Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the F-111 Nighthawk down the line.
F-35 Specs and Capabilities
Beginning with the United Kingdom, the JSF program eventually evolved to be comprised of nine codevelopment partners. Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Norway, Australia, and Turkey all joined the JSF during the Concept Demonstration Phase. However, Ankara was eventually expelled from the program in 2018 following its government’s acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.
The resulting F-35 Lightning II airframe is widely considered to be the most advanced fifth-gen platform in service across the globe. Powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, the Lightning II can reach speeds in excess of Mach 1.6. Additionally, a 360-degree Distributed Aperture System, the MADL secure datalink system, and other top-tier avionics and sensors give the Lightning II its unmatched stealth and precision in the skies. Perhaps the jet’s greatest asset is its versatility and adaptability, as emerging technologies will be seamlessly incorporated into the platform as they are introduced down the line, a cost-saving measure for all the Lighting II’s operators.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.
