Last year alone, 660 service personnel disappeared from the Norwegian Army, Navy and Air Force, which previously had a combined force of 16,000. Severe understaffing, along with poor defense preparedness, are among five problems the Nordic nation's armed forces must address, according to recent reports.
The Norwegian Armed Forces' preparedness to deal with crises and conflicts as well as its ability to deter advancing enemy powers is well below the expected level and will remain so at least until the mid-2020s, when new defense equipment becomes fully operational, according to an annual report published by the Norwegian defense.
While Defense Chief Haakon Bruun-Hanssen praised his fellow Norwegian soldiers and officers for doing a solid job and earning international recognition for their missions abroad, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, he also stressed drastic domestic problems, in which he was supported by Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen, the daily newspaper Aftenposten reported.
According to the newspaper, the Norwegian Armed Forces currently have five main problems to deal with.
1) Deficient submarine-hunting capacity
According to Aftenposten, the Orion surveillance aircraft, currently tasked with submarine detection, are becoming outdated. Additionally, a lack of personnel left the aircraft grounded during Easter. Furthermore, the NH90 helicopters, which should have entered service a decade ago, are still a long way from becoming…
