Norway expands defense agreement with U.S., warns of Russian threat

Norwegian Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram and U.S. Ambassador to Norway Marc Nathanson signed an agreement to increase U.S. access to eight more military facilities in Norway, bringing the total to 12. NORWAY MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

THE WATCH STAFF

Norway and the United States significantly expanded their existing defense agreement in February 2024, adding eight more Norwegian military bases that will be used for joint training, munitions and equipment depots.

The Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA) builds on a 2021 pact that gave U.S. troops access to four Norwegian bases. The new agreement bolsters the total to 12 bases. “In today’s security environment, we must continue to strengthen the relationship with our allies. It is important for our security and for the entire Nordic region,” said Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram, according to the Independent Barents Observer, a Norwegian newspaper. “The United States is our closest ally,” Gram added.

The new agreement still needs approval from Norway’s Parliament, but the stakes are higher than they were when the original defense agreement was inked three years ago. “The security challenges and the operational requirements are greater and more serious now, compared to when the SDCA was negotiated in 2021,” Gram said, shortly after he signed the agreement with U.S. Ambassador Marc Nathason on February 2.

In recent months, Denmark, Finland and Sweden have all signed agreements with the U.S. designed to bolster Nordic defense, especially in the Arctic, which has seen a dramatic rise in activity as climate change has opened the once-frozen seas for increased navigation and development. Finland joined NATO in 2023; with the Hungarian parliament approving its accession bid in late February, Sweden will soon join the cross-Atlantic defense alliance as well. Theagreement comes just weeks before the Nordic Response 2024 NATO exercise begins in March, which will involve about 20,000 troops.

The new facilities include air stations and airfields, a naval station, garrison, firing range, exercise areas, a cave complex, and a fuel terminal, according to the Barents Observer. Norway and the U.S will now have the infrastructure in place to expand their militaries’ interoperability and enhance global integration. The pact will also protect Arctic approaches to the U.S. homeland.

Norway’s top general, Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen, recently told Dagbladet, a Norwegian newspaper, that Russia has been rapidly building up its munitions, imperiling Norwegian national security. “The current window of opportunity will remain open for a year or two, perhaps three, which is when we will have to invest even more in our defence,” Gen Kristoffersen said in a January 2024 interview, reported by Yahoo! News.

“We do not know what will become of Russia in three years. We need to prepare a strong national defense to be able to meet an uncertain and unpredictable world,” Kristoffersen said.