The Norwegian government has great ambitions for Andøya, and proposes to reverse the decision to close Andøya so that there will still be a daily military presence at the air station. Andøya is to be developed into a base for long-range drones, and will be central to the support and development of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ space operations. In addition, Andøya is an important airbase for allied reception.
Long-range drones will become a completely new capability in the Armed Forces and will increase our ability to continuously understand the situation and monitor our local areas. A good understanding of the situation is important to ensure national control and freedom of action. Andøya will be an absolutely central base for this development in the Norwegian Armed Forces going forward, says Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp).
Fisheries Minister Cecilie Myrseth, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, Air Wing Commander Hans Martin Steiro and Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram
The procurement of large drones with adapted sensors and systems in the Norwegian Armed Forces will contribute to continuous monitoring and control with a focus on maritime areas of interest in the north. This new capacity will also be able to help support total defense with monitoring and incident management in the event of, for example, natural disasters or rescue operations. The drones will be operated in a multinational collaboration with close allies that involves both training, operation and development. The former premises of the maritime patrol aircraft can be used for the establishment of drones on Andøya.
Space-based services are central to military operations and are becoming increasingly important in cooperation with allies, partners and in the NATO community. Secure access to space is becoming central in line with the development of satellite-based services.
The government has a clear ambition for Norway to be foremost among allies in understanding the situation in the north. Satellites help to provide an overview of what is happening in our immediate areas, and Andøya has a unique location when it comes to access to outer space,
says Gram.
Andøya Spaceport helps to support the needs of the Armed Forces, as well as bilateral and allied space investment. The government, in cooperation with allies, will develop the ability to quickly replace satellites if necessary. A first measure is to help strengthen the security level at Andøya Spaceport to satisfy military security requirements. This will mean that Andøya Spaceport can be a resource for the rapid launch of replacement satellites either in a national or allied framework.
Furthermore, a joint training and development department and permanent guarding and security are established for the base’s function as a base for allied aircraft in peacetime, in crisis and war. The air station area is being developed to support this activity and the Armed Forces’ own innovation and development activities.
Andøya air station is important in NATO’s planning. Andøya, Værnes, Sola and Bodø are further developed to be able to receive allies in peacetime and to be able to receive larger amounts of allied air forces in crisis and war.
Top Photo: The Andøya airbase was applied during the Nordic Response 2024 exercise. Photo: Ella Hagen, Forsvaret
Sources: Press Release; Barents Observer