Norway officially established a second brigade in its Arctic region on the border with Russia on Wednesday, bringing it a step closer to its NATO pledge to triple brigade strength by 2032.
The newly established Finnmark brigade goes in hand with the country’s first-ever national security strategy from earlier this year, which called to rapidly strengthen its defence and deepen cooperation with the EU.
“We have to live with a more dangerous and unpredictable Russia. The establishment of the Finnmark brigade is a necessary response to a more uncertain security situation in the world,” Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik said.
Oslo currently has just over 4,500 soldiers in active service, but that number is supplemented significantly by a Home Guard of over 40,000 people who completed 12 months of initial service, the country practices military conscription for both men and women.
NATO brigades typically number 3,000-5,000 soldiers and the founding member of the military alliance is set to expand its military capacity further with a third brigade to be stationed in the south of the country.
Long term defence
Coinciding with the launch of the Finnmark brigade, the government handed over newly renovated facilities worth €130 million (NOK1.5 billion) in Porsangmoen, Finnmark. As one of the world’s northernmost military garrisons, the brigade will be monitoring the Russian border and its militarised Kola Peninsula.
The brigade will be further strengthened with combat air defence, an artillery battalion, one light infantry battalion, an engineer company, and an intelligence squadron, according to the country’s long term defence plan.
In 2024, the Norwegian parliament approved a plan to raise Oslo’s defence spending to almost €138 billion by 2036, an increase of about €51 billion (NOK611 billion). That 37% increase in defence spending would also significantly strengthen Norway’s naval power, with five new frigates and by a complete upgrade of its submarine fleet.
(cp)