Title: With the Armed Forces into year 2000 - Armed Forces Reconstructuring
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ARMED FORCES RECONSTRUCTURING
By comparison with the last White Paper, the Government plans to procure fewer combat aircraft, no purchase of new submarines over the next ten years, and to renew less Army materiel. In general terms, this will reduce the capability of the Armed Forces to carry out anti-invasion defence. Still, the Government views such a force structure as adequate for current trends and future challenges.
The current security situation allows freedom of action to implement the necessary changes in the structure of the Armed Forces and the associated defence planning over the next few years.
The principal guidelines for the development of our force structure are as follows:
- A unified defence in which the different facets of defence activities and the associated force structures are carefully balanced and matched to the tasks of the Armed Forces in peace, crisis or war.
- Freedom of action to make it possible to respond to the requirements of changing conditions.
- Sensible standards of quality and force strength.
The capability of repelling an attempted invasion in one part of the country while defending the whole of the country against more limited aggression is the dominant factor affecting the structuring of the Army. The Army's main contribution to anti-invasion defence is 6 Division consisting of Divisional Units and three Divisional Brigades. To enable the Army to reinforce anti-invasion defences and to contribute to territorial defence, crisis management and the safeguarding of Norwegian sovereignty, three self-contained Brigades and some 20 self-contained Battalion Units will be established. Over the coming years until 2006, 6 Division and one self-contained Brigade will be afforded priority with regard to the procurement and allocation of materiel and equipment. By about 2006 the quality of the lowest priority Army units will be so marginal that consideration must be given to reducing the number of Brigades and the restructuring of parts of the territorial forces.
The Home Guard will remain essentially at current levels. Government planning anticipates that priority will be given in the next few years to the procurement of new personal equipment.
The Navy's main contribution to anti-invasion and territorial defence is its ability to protect the sea transport routes and lines of communication and to defend Norwegian territory against seaborne invasion. Five new minesweepers and four minehunters will be completed shortly. Preparations for the procurement of new frigates are in progress. Plans include the procurement of six of these escort vessels with delivery due over the period 2004-2009. Great importance is attached to keeping within the current financial limit set for the frigate project, even if it proves necessary to cut back on the number of ships included. The Navy will maintain a significant capability against surface ships. The HAUK Class will be updated and the STORM Class Missile Torpedo Boats will be phased out. A new type of Missile Torpedo Boat is being developed with the aid of a trials vessel. Two of the KOBBEN Class submarines will be phased out as soon as possible in order to reduce operating costs. A new anti-ship missile system is under development. The Coast Artillery will be restructured to provide greater mobility and flexibility. The Coast Guard's ability to fulfil its tasks of patrolling and protecting the coastal lines of communication will be enhanced through the updating of the NORDKAPP Class patrol vessels, procurement of a new, specially strengthened vessel capable of operating in difficult ice conditions and replacement of the Coast Guard helicopters.
Air superiority is of great importance to all branches of the Armed Forces in wartime operations. The quality of the aircraft at the disposal of the Norwegian Air Force will be improved by the procurement of new combat aircraft to replace the F-5 fighters which are being phased out and the F-16 aircraft which have been lost in recent years. This purchase will be cut back to some degree compared with the budgetary allocation currently envisaged. At the same time, however, the long-term requirement for combat aircraft needs to be seen as part of the overall perspective. Over the period up to the year 2006 the number of combat aircraft will be based on the need to maintain four operational squadrons. A reduction in the number of air stations to be established in the event of war will be proposed. Ground-based air defence evolution will be in the direction of a more flexible mix of fixed installations and mobile units. One squadron of maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft and one squadron of medium transport aircraft will be maintained. The possible procurement of a number of light multi-role aircraft is under consideration. Two squadrons of transport helicopters and a Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter squadron will also be maintained. In a long term perspective, acquisition of combat helicopters and unit helicopters for the Armed Forces will be considered.
By comparison with the last White Paper, therefore, the Government is now proposing to purchase fewer combat aircraft, no procurement of new submarines during the next 10 year period and a reduction in the scale of the Army materiel renewal. In general terms, this could be seen as reducing our anti-invasion and territorial defence capabilities. The Government nevertheless believes that such a force structure matches both today's needs and eventual future challenges as far as these can be foreseen.
Our international military involvement must continue to represent a prominent and integral part of the overall activities and structure of the Armed Forces. Increased priority will therefore be given to the establishment of an integrated system embracing all Norwegian participation in international peace operations irrespective of the nature of the participation and the organisational framework of the operation itself. Forces kept in readiness for future international operations are to be organised as either reaction forces, reinforcement forces or follow-up forces. The Army's contribution in this respect will in the future be organised within a Brigade framework. The Telemark Battalion is planned to form part of this Brigade. The contributions of the Navy and the Air Force will continue to be based largely on the units currently declared to NATO reaction forces and to the UN system. Certain changes and adjustments, however, will be considered. Fundamental to all these contributions is our ability to produce suitable contract arrangements to ensure the participation of an adequate number of personnel.
Topic: The Norwegian Defence Concept
Norwegian defence policy is based on four main cornerstones:
- A balanced national defence capable of bearing the brunt of the defensive operations needed in the initial stages of a war and to give credibility to our ability to cooperate with, and provide a command structure for, allied reinforcements on Norwegian territory. The aim is still to maintain our capacity to defend one region of the country at a time against invasion for a limited period.
- Allied military assistance and international cooperation. The political and military support of our allies is of critical importance to our security and our defence.
- Total Defence, which means that the Armed Forces can draw upon all the functions and resources of society in time of crisis or war.
- Compulsory military service. The principle of compulsory military service remains unchanged.