“This is a good budget for the Armed Forces. Funding is to be held at a high level while, at the same time, the Government are making some changes in priorities which show that we are acting in accordance with the intentions set out in the Soria Moria Declaration,” says Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen.

Principal aims and priorities
In order to strengthen the ability of the Armed Forces to carry out their missions, the Government will continue to carry forward the modernisation of the Armed Forces which was initiated under the Stoltenberg I administration through the presentation of the Long-Term Plan for the period 2002-2005, and which was endorsed by the Storting in June 2001. The long-term restructuring of Norwegian defence organisation will be continued while at the same time ensuring that action is in line with the principal priorities set out in the Soria Moria Declaration – including the aim of maintaining a high level of military presence in North Norway. The aims of the restructuring, endorsed by the Storting in June 2004 in the form of the plan for the following period 2005-2008, remain unchanged.

The Government will, as an element of its overall investment in the northern areas, strengthen the presence of the Armed Forces and their capacity to uphold Norwegian sovereignty in the North. Emergency planning and preparedness in coastal areas will be given higher priority than at present and the role of the Armed Forces in relation to environmental surveillance, resource control, preparedness and maritime search and rescue will be strengthened.

The Government will attach weight to conflict prevention and will work actively to strengthen the international rule of law. Participation in international operations must be based on the UN Charter and must have a clear mandate under international law.

Defence budget proposals – the salient points
Relative to the budget proposals put forward by the previous administration, the Government now proposes a further reallocation of NOK 140 million from support activities and low priority operations to fund more operational activities in the northern areas and to strengthen Norway’s participation in UN operations in Africa and ISAF in Afghanistan. Taken as a whole, the last administration’s proposal to reduce operating costs by 1.7 % in real terms, compared with the consolidated budget for 2005, to NOK 21.2 billion is being carried forward unchanged. In order to maintain the pressure on the continuing modernisation of the Armed Forces, the proposal for an increase in investment from NOK 9.2 billion in the consolidated budget for 2005 to 9.4 billion in 2006 is also being carried forward. The growth in the materiel investment budget of 1.9 % in real terms, relative to the consolidated budget for 2005, to NOK 7.7 billion is also to be carried forward. The most important aspects of the strengthening relative to the Bondevik II administration’s proposals are:

The Norwegian Army. The Government proposes to increase funding by NOK 25 million for force production in the Army’s reaction and follow-on force at the Skjold Garrison in Inner Troms, to ensure for example that a company-strength combat group can be made available for international operations from summer 2007. This will be financed mainly through the postponement of some staff appointments and some adjustment of the call-up date for military service recruits in autumn 2006.

The Royal Norwegian Navy. The Government proposes to allocate an additional NOK 35 million to strengthen the Navy’s operational activities through an increased naval presence in North Norway, and by arranging for a greater proportion of the Navy’s training and exercising to be carried out in the north. This will be financed mainly through the phasing out and disposal of the TP 613 torpedo for which there is no longer an operational need.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force. The Government proposes to increase the level of maritime surveillance in the northern areas by allocating an additional NOK 35 million to P-3 Orion operations. This is an important measure which will give the Norwegian civil and military authorities a better situation picture in the northern areas and it will also make the use of other defence capabilities in the northern areas more effective. In order to achieve this, and to fund other operational activity in the north, the level of ambition regarding the Air Force’s combat aircraft will be curtailed in areas in which it has been somewhat high in recent years. This will affect the Air Force’s combat capability nationally and internationally only to a limited extent, and it will not have any effect on our NATO obligations.

The Home Guard. The Government proposes to increase the training and exercise budget for the Home Guard by NOK 10 million. This will allow more personnel for the Home Guard reaction and follow-on forces to be trained and exercised in 2006, which will be in line with current ambitions for the Home Guard quality reforms. This additional funding will be found through a proposed limited reduction in the numbers undergoing initial military service in the Home guard.

Norwegian forces abroad. The Government proposes to increase funding by NOK 20 million in order to be able to raise the level of Norwegian participation in ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of personnel from the Training Mission in Iraq will make available a further NOK 20 million which the Government proposes to reallocate to increasing the Norwegian presence in UN operations in Africa. A further increase in involvement may become possible during the course of 2006. The Government will come back to the Storting with concrete proposals concerning Norwegian participation in new operations abroad.

The Coast Guard. It is proposed that the budget for the Coast Guard should be increased by NOK 15 million in order to strengthen the ability of the Coast Guard to carry out its core missions. This increase will provide for increased operational activity and will improve the Coast Guard’s ability to uphold Norway’s sovereign rights and to meet potential environmental challenges along the coast of North Norway.

Dry dock at Haakonsvern. The Government is acting on the decision of the Storting that fund should be invested in a new and extended dry dock at Haakonsvern. Following completion of the tender competition, the overall cost of the project is expected to be NOK 314 million. A new and extended dry dock at Haakonsvern will ensure that the Navy’s new frigates will at any time have access to a dry dock. The project will also contribute to ensuring that an important area of expertise will be maintained. NOK 50 million will be allocated for this purpose in 2006. Before the project is set in motion, a quality assurance audit will be carried out with regard to costs and implementation .

Military music. The Government proposes to increase the funding for military music by a further NOK 4 million. This is in addition to the Bondevik II administration’s proposal to reverse the Storting’s decision to cut running costs by about NOK 10 million relative to the 2004 level. This means that the Armed Forces’ military bands will now be able to play more .

The National Rifle Association of Norway

The Government is interested in continuing the important cooperation between the Armed Forces, especially the Home Guard, and the National Rifle Association of Norway, and it therefore proposes to allocate a further sum of about NOK 1 million to support the activities of the National Rifle Association of Norway in 2006. This means that support will be maintained at the same level as in 2005.

Further information about the defence budget here.