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F-35 LIGHTNING II Operator profile – Norway
he first three operational F-35As (5148/
AM-08, 5149/AM-09 and 5150/AM-10)
for the Luftforsvaret (Royal Norwegian
Air Force, RNoAF) arrived at Ørland Main
Air Station on November 3, 2017, at the end
of a ferry flight from Fort Worth. Three more
aircraft (5205/AM-11, 5206/AM-12, and
5207/AM-13) followed on May 22, 2018.
Seven Norwegian F-35s are supporting
training efforts at Luke AFB, Arizona,
comprising serials 5087/AM-01, 5088/AM-02,
5110/AM-03, 5111/AM-04, 5145/AM-05,
5146/AM-06 and 5147/AM-07, which are
attached to the 62nd Fighter Squadron.
The Norwegian government plans to purchase
up to 52 F-35As and will accept six aircraft
annually beginning this year. Norway’s next
Lightning II, 5208/AM-14, first flew at Fort
Worth on May 29, and the RNoAF is currently
undertaking operational test and evaluation of
the type in Norwegian conditions – aiming for
initial operational capability by the end of next
year and full operational capability in 2025.
Meanwhile, F-35A 5149 conducted the
first local use of the braking parachute upon
landing at Ørland on February 16, 2018.
Testing of the specially designed modification
began last year at Edwards Air Force Base,
California. Initial tests were conducted on wet
runways before progressing to icy conditions in
Alaska. The Norwegian event marked the first
use of the system on a production Lightning
II. All previous tests were conducted by
instrumented flight-test aircraft AF-02.T
F-35ABOVE: The rst F-35A for Norway (5087/AM-01), with a Joint Strike Missile (JSM). Designed
and built by Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, the JSM is an air-to-surface weapon designed
for long-range precision strike in high-threat scenarios. Lockheed Martin
BELOW: RNoAF F-35A 5206 arrives at Ørland on May 22. Forsvaret/Torbjørn KjosvoldNorwegian F-35A 5207/AM-13 on test
at Fort Worth prior to delivery to Ørland
in May. Carl Richards