Norway Receives Three More F-35 Fighters

The Royal Norwegian Air Force has received three additional F-35A fighters, bringing its total fleet to 49 aircraft, according to Norway’s Ministry of Defense.

The final three jets are expected to arrive by spring, completing the country’s planned purchase of 52 units.

Norway has received nine F-35s in the past three months as part of a program to replace its aging F-16 fleet. The first Norwegian F-35 flew in 2015, and the first operational aircraft arrived at Ørland Air Base in 2017. Norway declared initial operational capability in 2019 and began participating in NATO airspace patrols in 2020.

The F-35A fighters are stationed at Ørland and Evenes air bases, with several currently deployed to Poland. Norwegian F-35s at Poland’s 31st Tactical Air Base near Poznań are supporting NATO’s integrated air and missile defense and are on constant alert to protect airspace near the logistics hub for international military aid to Ukraine.

In January 2025, Norway became the first country to operate the F-35 using blended biofuels. This was enabled after Lockheed Martin certified synthetic aviation fuel (SATF) for the F-35 Lightning II, allowing up to 50% biofuel to be mixed with conventional jet fuel.