Norway expands arms program over Russia

Due to the "unpredictability of Russia," the Norwegian government has presented a program of armament and modernization of the army, which will lead to the introduction of new combat aircraft and submarines. “This is the most serious effort since the Cold War,” announced Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

“Unfortunately, geopolitical conditions have changed significantly in recent years and changed for the worse. We have a neighbor who is becoming more and more unpredictable, strengthening its military potential and showing its readiness to use military force as a political instrument, ”the prime minister said.

Over the next 20 years, Norway will increase its military budget by the equivalent of 17.5 billion euros. The Solberg government plan provides, in particular, for the purchase of 52 F-35s and four submarines. The latter contract belongs to the French DCNS group, which is competing with the German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). However, the increase in the defense budget does not mean that Norway is meeting the NATO requirement, which calls on the allies to allocate 2 percent of GDP for military spending.