Norway Strengthens Its Air Shield
An upgraded missile battery at Norway’s main fighter base begins a wider renewal, while the promised expansion remains several years away.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre opened Borgen, a new air-defense complex at Ørland Air Base in central Norway, on November 2, 2026. According to the announcement accompanying the opening, the first modernized NASAMS IV battery was formally received at the same event.
The location explains the priority. Ørland is the main base for Norway’s F-35 fighter aircraft and regularly hosts allied forces. Protecting it helps preserve the aircraft and facilities on which Norwegian air operations and cooperation within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, depend.
The new complex gives air-defense personnel facilities adapted to both current equipment and future deliveries.
