The frigate was handed over during a ceremony in Ferrol in Spain.
- Norway is a maritime nation. Our welfare is dependent on the maritime. The Navy will protect and care for our future welfare, people, resources and environment. Therefore we need a competent, flexible and modern Navy, and the new frigates will be an important part of this, the Rear Admiral says.
Norway will get five new frigates in total, and they will be operational by 2010. They are the first vessels with helicopters in Norway.
Report ready in May
The investigation report developed after the tank accident at exercise Cold Response 06 will be sent to the Ministry of Defence by the 12 May.
The report is not secret, but will not be published until the Ministry of Defence agrees to it. The families of the two dead soldiers saw the report at the start of April.
Food disease hits soldiers abroad
ISAF-soldiers were infected with bacteria in the food they ate in Mazar-E Sharif at the start of the month.
Over 100 soldiers of different nationalities had to be put in the isolate in the Norwegian camp. They were all infected with the dysentery bacteria Shigella Sonnei, which is potentially deadly. The infected food came from the kitchen in the German camp, which was closed.
The Norwegian soldiers had to eat field rations for over three weeks while the issue was solved, but none of the infected soldiers were ever in any serious danger.
Wants non-lethal weapons
The Ministry of Defence has decided to spend 50 million NOK on non-lethal weapons.
- Norwegian soldiers want to avoid firing their weapon at someone as far as is possible. This is why we need weapons that can be used in situations where neither live bullets or negotiations are the right solutions, says researcher Odd Harry Arnesen at the Armed Forces’ Research Institute.
The weapons in question, such as rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas and electro shock weapons are not new. They have for a long time been used by the police. The latest incident in Meymaneh in February highlights the need for these weapons in the Armed Forces too.