Conquered the Oslofjord
- I am proud to take part in this rare event, says Chief of Defence General Sverre Diesen.
-This is a great day. They new frigates will be very important to secure our future welfare, says Rear Admiral Jan Erik Finseth.
The frigate was open for the public for three days in Oslo, and it was visited by the King of both Norway and Spain.
Sets the table in Africa
Cape Verde is visited by around 7000 soldiers during this year’s biggest NATO exercise, and a Norwegian transport company of 70 has made sure that the forces come to a set table.
- This place was only sand and mountains when we arrived here, says Second Lieutenant Johannes Randem and points to the huge tent camp situated halfway between Mindelo and the airport on Sao Vicente.
His transport company is part of the Norwegian contribution to the seventh rotation of the NATO Response Force. The different contributions have trained separately and together for six months, and the time has come to certify that the force works as a whole. Exercise Steadfast Jaguar 06 is held throughout July on Cape Verde.
One reason for placing the exercise so far away from Europe is to train the logistical operation which is required to transport equipment to thousands of soldiers who are hundreds of miles away. The Norwegian transport company plays a key role here, as they were one of the first units to arrive at Cape Verde.
Gained tropical experience
Heat and high humidity are among the challenges Norwegian troops will encounter if they are to be sent to Africa as UN soldiers. Two officers have visited the Swedish forces in Liberia to learn from their experiences.
One captain from the ISTAR battalion and one Lieutenant from the Telemark battalion visited the Swedish forces who are currently on a UN mission to Liberia.
- The goal was to gain experiences from a land contribution which trains and solves problems in a tropical environment. Norway has had a few observers out, who have all brought back independent experiences from these climates, but not from whole units. Afghanistan and Iraq are far from tropical environments, Captain Andreas said.
NATO needs Norwegian fire fighters
NATO is not able to send new fire fighters to Kabul International Airport (KAIA) before September this year, and the Norwegian fire fighters step in and stay in Afghanistan longer than they were supposed to.
The Norwegian contribution at KAIA were supposed to end their duties on 24 May, but Iceland, who were to take over after the Norwegians, had to postpone their arrival at Kabul until September. Without anyone else to turn to, NATO requested the Norwegians to stay for three more months.
- Luckily our crew at the airport was willing to step in. Vacation plans and job changes had to be reorganised on very short notice, and reunions with family and friends have to be postponed for three months. Without their dedication and willingness to perform their duties, NATO would have a problem, says Brigadier General Geir Anda, chief press- and information officer in the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Seven Norwegian fire fighters, both military and civilian, operate at KAIA. All of them have been there for more than six months already, and are well experienced.