F-35s:Norway's New Solution for Rapid Response

On 6 January 2022 at 1145 hours local,Norway's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters officially assumed the Quick Reaction Alert mission from F-16 Fighting Falcons that had carried out the mission for 42 years,according to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence.The transfer occurred at the mission's new home,Evenes Air Base in Northern Norway,a bit farther north than the previous site at Bodo Air Base. Said Major General Rolf Folland,Chief,Royal Norwegian Air Force: F-35 has now received the baton from F-16,continuing to keep a constant guard.I sense a great pride today.* The Quick Reaction Alert mission is executed on behalf of NATO.It provides a response to unknown aircraft within 15 minutes.The interceptors find,observe and document any unknown aircraft that near Norway and NATO airspace.The Evenes F-35s are a detachment from the main F-35 base at Orland Air Base in Central Norway.Evenes is to be the most significant air base in Northern Norway,also serving as the main base for a fleet of P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.By 2025,Evenes will host about 500 employees and 300 conscripts to staff the base.Among the personnel will be an air defence battalion and a force protection squadron.Norway will acquire 52 F-35s by 2025.* Lockheed Martin says the F-35 is a decisive differentiator in near-peer warfare as the most advanced node in the networked 21st Century Warfare operational vision.It delivers vast amounts of information to accelerate critical decisions and prevail in warfighting.In additon to weapons in its internal weapons bay,the F-35 will also be capable of carrying the JASSM and JASSM-ER long-range,conventional strike air-to-ground cruise missile and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) under its wings,once integration is complete.* Lockheed Martin (LMT)