Home and Abroad – an Army for the Complex Challenges of the Present Day

Address by Minister of Defence Grete Faremo at the 2009 Army Summit, 6 November 2009.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to address all of you as this year’s Army Summit is coming to an end.
I see from the programme that you have been through a wide range of interesting presentations, covering themes like geopolitics in the High North, energy issues, climate change and security in Europe.

As you are all well aware, I have only been Minister of Defence for slightly more than two weeks.
Some of you may know that my first trip was to the Army.
Just last week, I visited Indre Troms.
I was very impressed by what I learned from the highly competent people that I met.
My first conclusion is that I have been placed in charge of a formidable, highly skilled knowledge-based organisation.
The Army performs demanding tasks both at home and abroad.
During the last decade it has gone through a tough transformation process.
Indeed, the Army reforms have been more wide-ranging than any of the other services.
The Army has demonstrated that it can adapt to new challenges.

Last year a long term plan for our Armed Forces was presented to the Storting.
This plan focuses on strengthening and adapting our capacities.
We shall adhere to the principles laid down in the long term plan and create a balance between our tasks and resources by 2012.
The continued ability to improve our performance is a prerequisite for broad support in the Storting.

I am here today to speak about the Norwegian Army.
But first I would like to share some perspectives on the current international challenges.
 
The international system is in flux.
Globalisation is making the world smaller.
Developments in one corner of the world quickly affect the rest of the international society.
There has been a revolution of communications and technology.
There are fewer armed conflicts than twenty years ago, and the global map has been rewritten.
These developments represent new opportunities, but also new challenges.

We still see regions marked by weak or failing state structures, intra-state conflicts and turmoil, challenges that drew our attention in the 1990s.
The asymmetrical threats that have dominated our mindsets since September 11 2001 remain an important security concern.
And the possibility of further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to both state and non-state actors still lingers as a frightening prospect.

Over the last years we have also witnessed the renaissance of inter-state rivalry and conflict.
This comes at a time when the period of US global dominance seems to come to an end.
New states have risen to challenge American hegemony – among these China and India.
Russia has reasserted itself as a strong regional power with aspirations on the international scene.
Geopolitics is back in international relations.

If we add to this the implications of the global economic crisis and the consequences of climate change, we see a world with many potential challenges that could assume a security dimension.

For instance, climate change could make some areas in the world uninhabitable, leading to large-scale migrations and struggle for scarce resources.
Norway may have to participate in stabilising operations abroad, and there might be a need for strengthened border control at home.
In our own vicinity, the rivalry over resources may be intensified.
A growth in sea transportation over the Polar Basin could pose new challenges.

The government emphasises that international challenges should be handled by multilateral cooperation.

The United Nations is the principal organisation for universal, multilateral cooperation.
The UN is the only international body that can legitimate the use of force, either under UN flag, or by delegating the responsibility to regional organisations.
Norway emphasises contributing to UN-led peace operations.

Together with the United Nations, NATO remains the bedrock of Norwegian security. NATO is the primary guarantor of the security of its member states, and an important contributor to international peace and stability.

NATO is in the process of revising its strategic concept.
It is of crucial importance that NATO maintains its capacity to handle the security needs of the member states as well as new global challenges.

It is particularly important that Article 5 – the commitment to collective defence – is not weakened, especially in an era where the Alliance tends to have most of its immediate focus beyond NATO territory.

Norway also participates in defence cooperation with other states and institutions.

Although we remain outside the European Union, we take part in the cooperative endeavours of the European Security and Defence Policy – ESDP.
We contribute to the Nordic Battle Group.
We have observer-status in the European Defence Agency (EDA).
And we participate in the EU naval operation Atalanta.

In addition we have close ties to our Nordic neighbours.
The Nordic states have many similar traits, like geography, size, language and culture.
Our common endeavours cover a broad spectrum, from coordination of contributions to UN, EU and NATO operations to capabilities cooperation and joint equipment projects.

The challenges that we face in the High North due to climate change and renewed focus on geopolitics, underline the importance of these partnerships.

Our immediate surroundings constitute more of a challenge than those of many of our allies.

The seabed in the High North contains large energy resources.
At the same time, the Barents Sea contains some of the richest fishing grounds in the world.
Climate change can have wide-ranging implications in the region.
As the ice cap of the Arctic gradually recedes, new possibilities for oil and gas extraction may open in areas of contested sovereignty.
Fishing stocks may start to migrate.
New routes of sea transportation will be available.

All of this means that the strategic significance of the region is growing.

In order to develop our Armed Forces, we need to be clear on what tasks they should be able to perform. These tasks are the foundation for developing our military capabilities.

The long term plan has established the following dimensioning tasks for the Norwegian Armed Forces:

- Providing surveillance and intelligence
- Upholding Norwegian sovereignty
- Exercising authority
- National crisis response
- Collective defence
- Multinational crisis management

These tasks span the whole spectrum of conflict and confrontation, both at home and abroad.
The Army plays an important part in solving all these tasks.

A relevant Army is a flexible instrument that can contribute in many different ways, ranging from the establishment of a stabilising military presence to performing combat operations.
In order to perform missions along this wide spectrum, the Army must possess high-quality, agile forces that are adaptable and live up to NATO’s standards of interoperability.
Transforming any army is not a static process
– but a continuous one.

Our armed forces must be able to solve missions both at home and abroad.
The tasks at home are of course our top priority.
The government has put particular emphasis on strengthening the military presence in the North.

We have expanded our activity and invested in new structure elements, among these new coast guard vessels, frigates, coastal corvettes and transport aircraft.
In addition, we have decided to purchase F-35 combat aircraft.
By establishing our new operational headquarters at Reitan and moving the Army Staff to Bardufoss, we have also strengthened the footprint of the Norwegian Armed Forces in the North.

But our armed forces must also be able to contribute internationally. Participation in peace operations abroad constitutes a vital contribution to fulfilling the objectives of our national foreign and security policy.

The Army has been given demanding tasks in our operations abroad. Some units and individuals have assumed a particularly heavy responsibility.
Let me take this opportunity to express how proud I am of what you are doing in order to protect international peace and stability.

Norwegian forces are always commended for their excellent quality and cooperative abilities. They are well trained as well as well-equipped to operate in demanding missions together with our allies.

We have sought to distribute the burden of such operations more evenly, and I believe that these efforts are beginning to bear fruit.

We have to combine the ability to solve national missions and at the same time be able to contribute relevant forces to operations abroad over time.
So far, the transformation of our forces has been based on the assumption that there is no principal difference between the capabilities required at home and abroad.

There are indeed synergies between our engagements abroad and our ability to handle challenges at home.
Operations abroad have given our forces relevant experience and a much higher level of professionalism.
It has also strengthened our level of interoperability.
These are features that will be most valuable should we in the future be forced to conduct operations on our own soil.

However, operations like the ones in the Balkans or Afghanistan require the ability to deploy relatively light forces and sustain operations over long periods of time.
Indeed, such operations may contain high-intensity phases or episodes.
Still, there is a certain difference between the requirements of the operations we engage in abroad and modern high-intensity scenarios.
There are potential conflicts in our own core areas that may demand highly capable and heavily equipped forces at high readiness, but with lesser requirements for sustainability at a low intensity level.

Thus we are faced with the challenge that we must be able to handle missions that require different capacities.
There is definitely a large overlap, but they are not totally compatible.

This means that our international engagements must be balanced against our national requirements and abilities.
When we take part in long-term operations abroad, we must choose a way of contributing that does not lead to a degeneration of our force structure.

For the first time, Norway takes part in UN-, NATO- and EU-operations at the same time.
We have a field hospital in Chad, and a Norwegian frigate protects civilian vessels from pirates as part of the EU-operation Atalanta.
However, our largest contribution to international peace operations abroad is in Afghanistan.

The situation in Afghanistan gives reason for grave concern.
Although we are not at war in the formal meaning of the term, I am fully aware that our soldiers face situations and tasks that bring about the same risks and strain.

Personnel participating in operations abroad need to feel that their efforts are appreciated and that the authorities at home stand behind them.
It is important for me to emphasise that the Government and the Parliament fully support our international engagements.

There are no quick fixes in Afghanistan, but some of the success factors seem evident.
One is an increased emphasis on Afghan ownership and responsibility.
Another is an improved coordination of political, military and humanitarian assistance, in other words, to adopt a comprehensive approach.

In order to assist Afghan authorities in assuming responsibility for the country’s security, we have put increased emphasis on training and field cooperation with the Afghan National Army.
We send significantly more mentors than we did a couple of years ago.

ISAF is an allied operation, and we will stay as long as NATO stays.
Within the next year NATO and the international community have to find ways of turning the tide, so that real improvements become visible.

Our operations abroad enjoy wide-spread support in the general population.
Opinion polls indicate that this is the case when it comes to our ISAF contribution.
In fact the level of support is one of the highest in NATO.

I do understand and sympathise with the desire among our troops that the population should stand behind them when they perform difficult tasks abroad.  You have my deepest respect and I hereby express a heartfelt gratitude on behalf of myself, the government as well as the Norwegian people.

Still, we have to accept that there will be public debate about our international engagements.
Such debates are a necessary part of a democracy.
We must live with such debates and be prepared to explain why we believe that we are doing the right thing.

The Norwegian government will continue our contribution to peace and stability throughout the world by providing forces for UN and NATO operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Our contribution should stay at about the same level for the years to come.

Solving our tasks both at home and abroad is demanding for the services, units and every single soldier.
We have to make sure that we are capable of solving missions along the full spectrum of conflict, which means we must recruit the right personnel, develop the right skills and procure the right equipment.

The government has done a lot to strengthen the Army in the previous years.
It is important for me to continue the efforts to strengthen the Army and improve the robustness of its structures as a whole.

The number of personnel has increased since the low point of 2005.
This expansion will continue.

We will also strengthen the Army when it comes to equipment.
Several investment projects will supply the Army with better firepower, improved mobility, enhanced protection, and an improved ability to function in a joint environment.

We will buy new artillery, upgrade the CV90 tracked infantry fighting vehicles and acquire new combat reconnaissance systems.
Moreover, we continue to acquire IVECO patrol vehicles and other light armoured vehicles.
Improved individual soldier equipment solutions and a new battlefield management system will also have positive effects on the fighting power of our Army units.
 
The quality of the personnel is crucial to the Army.
We must be able to recruit, educate and keep competent people in order to maintain efficient army units.
We must offer lifelong education, career opportunities, a functional family policy, predictability, safety and thorough follow-up of our veterans.

Furthermore, good leadership is vital to succeed in handling our tasks and equipment, and in order to get the best out of our personnel.
Leaders on all levels are important role models.

Our National Service remains a basis for our armed forces, based on the needs of the defence organisation.
It forms a valuable bond between our armed forces and the rest of the society.
It also secures a broad basis for recruiting motivated and competent personnel.

In order to further improve our armed forces, we must increase the number of women serving in the military.
We need to reach out to the young women who are assessing future career possibilities as they complete their secondary education.
One way of doing this is by the introduction of compulsory participation for women in the screening sessions for national service.

The two organisational centres of gravity in the Norwegian Army are Indre Troms and Østerdalen.
The government wants to create robust clusters where operational, training and developmental units can support and reinforce one another.
Such centres also serve to improve predictability for the personnel.

The establishment of a more solid brigade command structure has served to create a more robust organisational framework for operations and training.
This is important in order to develop the competence to take on responsibilities in the command structure of larger combined units.

The manoeuvre units are the core of the army, but they cannot solve any mission without substantial tactical and logistic support.
Our special forces have proved themselves to be highly competent and relevant in operations at home and abroad.
I will ensure that our special forces still will have the necessary resources to uphold their high standards.

The Army will also assume the responsibility for various elements from the logistics and support organisations in order to ensure improved support for operations and training.
This will improve the ability of the Army to support operations flexibly and effectively.

When aiming to develop and improve the capacities of our Army, we already have a sound basis in the existing organisation.
We shall continue the efforts to strengthen the Army, so that it becomes even better – both as an instrument for Norwegian security policies and as a conducive working environment for the personnel.

I am proud of our Army, and I will do my outmost to secure that it will remain a modern, adaptable organisation marked by high quality and the ability to take care of those who serve in it.

Thank you for your attention.

See also report from the visit at Akershus (in Norwegian).