4. Norway
| Date | 01 March 1972 |
| DOI | 10.1177/001083677200700119 |
| Published date | 01 March 1972 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
187
4.
NORWAY
A.
Norwegian
Defence
Forces:
A
Survey
Norwegian
command
structure
is
based
on
the
principle
of
service
integration.
Polit-
ical
control
is
vested
in
the
Ministry
of
Defence
(MOD),
which
also
exercises
direct
control
of
administration
and
logis-
tics,
through
a
system
that
places
the
materiel
commands
of
the
services
directly
under
the
MOD.
The
Chief
of
Defence
exercises
com-
mand
of
the
armed
forces
through
two
integrated
headquarters
of
the
Commander
North
Norway
(COMNON)
and
the
Com-
mander
South
Norway
(COMSONOR).
Headquarters
Defence
High
Command
consists
of
one
joint
staff
under
the
Chief
of
Staff,
and
four
single
service
staffs,
each
organized
to
serve
the
Inspec-
tors
General
of
the
three
services
and
the
Home
Guard.
The
Inspectors
General
are
responsible,
on
behalf
of
the
Chief
of
De-
fence,
for
force
production,
single
service
military
personnel
administration,
organi-
zation,
tactics
and
doctrine.
In
the
regional
headquarters
COMNON
and
COMSONOR
the
single
service
ex-
pertise
is
channelled
through
single
service
deputies
executing
operational
control
of
the
forces
of
their
respective
services
through
the
joint
operation
centres
in
HQ.
The
permanent
personnel
of the
Nor-
wegian
armed
forces
include
13,100
of-
ficers
and
NCO’s,
1,500
enlisted
men
and
10,500
civilians.
The
military
system
is
based
on
conscription
and
mobilization.
Every
physically
and
mentally
fit
male
citizen
is
liable
for
military
service
from
the
age
of
20
to
45.
At
the
age
of
20
the
ranks
are
called
up
for
12-15
months’
initial
service.
The
Army
is
primarily
a
mobilization
army
with
only
limited
standing
forces.
The
basic
unit
of
the
Field
Army
is
the
Brigade.
Following
mobilization
the
Field
Army
will
comprise
some
12
brigades.
Each
brigade
has
a
strength
of
some
4,000
men.
There
is
only
one
standing
brigade
in
peace
time.
It
is
located
in
Troms
county
in
north
Norway.
The
remaining
11
bri-
gades
will
be
mobilized
by
the
14
Com-
bined
Regiments
( 10
in
southern
and
4
in
northern
Norway)
which,
following
the
implementation
of
current
plans
for
re-
organization,
will
make
up
the
cadres
and
bases
for
the
field
brigades.
In
addition
to
the
brigades
the
Field
Army
includes
Sup-
port
troops,
Territorial
Defence
units
mo-
bilized
in
battalion
or
company
groups
equalling
17
regiments,
Headquarters
and
Communication
units.
The
mobilized
army
will
comprise
some
130,000
men.
Four
regionally
located
mobile
Divisional
head-
quarters
are
being
established.
The
annual
intake
of
recruits
is
ap-
proximately
15,000.
The
basic
(3
mos)
and
specialist
training
of
Army
personnel
is
carried
out
at
school
and
training
centres
(18)
in
southern
Norway.
Upon
comple-
tion
of
basic
training
the
soldiers
are
trans-
ferred
to
the
standing
units,
primarily
in
north
Norway,
where
their
training
(9
mos)
is
continued,
with
emphasis
on
unit
and
formation
training.
Following
the
com-
pletion
of
the
initial
service
the
personnel
are
transferred
to
mobilization
reserve
units.
The
former
constitute
the
mobiliza-
tion
base
for
the
Field
Army
until
the
age
of
35.
The
goal
is
to
call
them
up
for
re-
fresher
training
for
21
days
every
four
years.
However,
budgetary
pressures
fre-
quently
result
in
a
reduced
programme.
Between
the
ages
of
35
and
44
the
con-
script
is
part
of
the
Territorial
Defence
units.
The
standing
forces
in
north
Norway
comprise
the
South
Varanger
Garrison
(450
men)
and
the
Porsanger
Garrison
(1,000
men)
in
Finnmark
county.
The
Northern
Brigade
(4,000
men)
is
stationed
in
Troms
county
except
for
one
battalion
in
Nordland
county.
The
standing
forces
include
two
squadrons
of
medium
Leopard
tanks
(13
in
each),
one
in
Troms
and
the
other
in
south
Norway.
There
are
also
tank
platoons
operational
at
important
airfields
in
peacetime.
About
100
Leopards
and
M-48
tanks
would
be
activated
upon
mobilization.
188
The
Field
Brigade
comprises
3
infantry
battalions
equipped
with
AG-3
automatic
rifles,
MG-3
machine
guns,
M-72
anti-
tank
rocket
launchers,
84
mm
Carl
Gustav
recoilless
anti-tank
guns,
18
106
mm
re-
coilless
rifles,
18
81
mm
mortars,
M-113
armoured
personnel
carriers;
one
recon-
naissance
squadron
with
7
M-24
light
tanks,
6
106
mm
recoilless
rifles,
oversnow
vehicles,
etc.;
one
artillery
battalion
with
18
M-109
SP
155
mm
howitzers;
one
light
air
defence
battery
with
24
20
mm
or
18
40
mm
anti-aircraft
guns,
one
en-
gineer
company
and
one
heavy
mortar
company
with
12
M-30
107
mm
heavy
mortars;
plus
support
and
staff
HQ
units.
The
brigade
may
be
reinforced
by
spe-
cial
units
with
Leopard
tanks,
M-48
tanks,
and
Entac
anti-tank
missiles.
The
Home
Guard
is
a
local
defence
force
counting
about
80,000
men
of
whom
10,000
are
volunteers.
The
bulk
of
the
force
consists
of
personnel
that
have
been
transferred
from
the
mobilization
lists
of
the
services.
Some
recruits
are
transferred
from
the
services
upon
the
completion
of
3
months
basic
training
(ca.
2,000
per
year).
The
Home
Guard
is
organized
in
small
units
of
squad,
platoon,
and
company
size.
The
men
keep
their
personal
weapons
and
equipment
at
home.
Training
takes
place
on
a
local
basis
or
at
training
centres
in
various
districts.
The
annual
training
peri-
od
is
at
present
50
hours
or
6
consecutive
days.
The
Naval
Home
Guard
operates
a
number
of
armed
fishing
vessels
and
the
Air
Force
Home
Guard
is
responsible
for
the
manning
and
operation
of
anti-aircraft
batteries.
The
Naval
Forces
consist
of
the
Royal
Norwegian
Navy
and
the
Coastal
Artillery.
They
are
organized
and
equipped
with
defence
of
coastal
waters
as
their
primary
task.
The
annual
intake
of
recruits
is
approximately
6,000
and
the
reserves
in
excess
of
25,000.
The
Navy’s
main
base
is
Haakonsvern,
near
Bergen.
In
north
Nor-
way,
there
are
two
smaller
bases,
Ram-
fjordnes
and
Ramsund,
of
which
Ram-
fjordnes
serves
submarines
and
FPB’s.
The
ships
of
the
RNN
include:
5
frigates
(DE
Oslo-class,
1,760
tons)
2
corvettes
(FF
Sleipner-class,
730
tons)
20
Motor
Gun
Boats
(FPB
Storm-class,
138
tons)
6
Motor
Torpedo
Boats
(FPB
Snogg-class,
138
tons)
20
Motor
Torpedo
Boats
(FPB
Tjeld-class,
82
tons)
15
Coastal
Submarines
(SS
Kobben-class,
530
tons)
4
Mine
Layers
(ML
Gor-class,
1,250
tons)
10
Mine
Sweepers
(MSC
Sauda-class,
384
tons)
5
Landing
Craft
(Reinoysund-class,
560
tons)
2
Landing
Craft
(Kvalsund-class,
510
tons),
and
some
auxiliaries
of
various
types.
The
ASW
system
Tern,
which
is
of
Norwegian
design
and
manufacture,
is
operational
on
the
frigates,
corvettes,
and
mine
layers.
The
Penguin
surface-to-sur-
face
missile
system
is
another
Norwegian
product
which
is
under
introduction
in
the
RNN.
Norway
also
participates
in
the
development
of
the
NATO
ship-to-air
missile
system
Sea
Sparrow.
The
smaller
units
give
priority
to
presence
in
the
coastal
waters
of
north
Norway.
The
fast
patrol
boats
are
orga-
nized
in
five
operational
squadrons
con-
sisting
of
3
Motor
Gun
Boats
and
3
Motor
Torpedo
Boats
each
(KTB
skv.
121, 122,
123,
124,
125).
The
landing
craft
are
or-
ganized
in
one
squadron
of
5
operational
vessels
in
north
Norway.
The
Naval
Forces
are
organized
in
nine
Naval
Districts
(5
in
south
Norway
and
4
in
north
Norway).
There
are
5
operational
coastal
artillery
forts
and
another
40
would
be
activated
upon
mobilization.
The
Coastal
Artillery
is
organized
on
the
basis
of
gun
batteries,
torpedo
batteries,
and
controlled
mine
fields.
A
coastal
radar
chain
covers
important
stretches
of
the
Norwegian
coast
as
part
of
the
system
of
surveillance
of
coastal
waters.
The
annual
intake
of
recruits
in
the
Norwegian
Air
Force
is
approximately
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