RNoAF declares IOC

Production milestones, roll-outs, test flights, service introduction and other milestones.
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by krorvik » 06 Nov 2019, 13:13



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by doge » 06 Nov 2019, 15:42

:applause:
From the Norwegian GoV official site.
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/m ... id2676740/
Major Milestone: Norway declares IOC for F-35A
Press release | Date: 06/11/2019
November 6th 2019 Norwegian air chief Brig. Gen. Tonje Skinnarland declared Norway's F-35As operational after completing a deployment in November meant to validate that they are able to operate the jets away from Norway's home base of Ørland Main Air Station.

Norway becomes the third European country to declare IOC, after the United Kingdom and Italy. – I would like to congratulate the Norwegian Armed Forces on declaring IOC with the F-35. This is a big day for the entire Armed Forces, says Norway’s Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen.

With more than 455 aircraft operating from 20 bases around the globe, the F-35 is playing a critical role in today's global security environment. More than 955 pilots and 8,485 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 230,000 cumulative flight hours. Nine nations have F-35s operating from a base on their home soil and eight Services have declared Initial Operating Capability.

Over the last two years, the Norwegian Air Force has conducted intensive operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) of special Norwegian conditions such as winter operations, operations in the northern areas and cooperation with Norwegian Army, Navy and Special Forces.

To conclude the test period, the Norwegian Armed Forces spent several days transferring aircraft and equipment from Ørland Air Station to Rygge Air Station (close to the capital Oslo). Deployment of Rygge's fighter aircraft system includes technicians and other important personnel as well as necessary equipment in order to train and practice operations from there. This was the first time the fighter aircraft were operated from a base other than Ørland Air Station.

Next year Norway’s F-35s will deploy to Iceland to conduct air-policing efforts on behalf of NATO. Finally, by 2022, the Norwegian Air Force will have built up enough F-35s, pilots and maintainers in the country to let the F-35 take over the “quick reaction alert” mission, which calls for operators to stand on a 24/7 alert and scramble, if needed, to intercept aircraft flying near Norwegian airspace. These F-35s will be ready for air-policing in Evenes, Northern Norway.
Facts:
    ・Norway has declared F-35 initial operating capability (IOC) Nov. 6th 2019.
    ・Norway plans to buy 52 F-35As. They are based in Ørland Air Station (main location) and from 2022 also in Evenes Air Station (for NATO air-policing).
    ・Norway becomes the third European country to declare F-35 IOC, after the United Kingdom and Italy.
    ・From 2022 Norwegian F-35As will take over the NATO QRA in Evenes. This calls for operators to stand on a 24/7 alert and scramble, if needed, to intercept aircraft flying near Norwegian airspace.

Norwegian MoD official site article just before IOC. (Language is Norwegian. used Google translation.)
https://forsvaret.no/f-35-ioc
The F-35 immediately ready for work
After two years of intense testing, the Norwegian F-35 is ready for its first mission. With that begins a new era for the defense of Norway.
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 25, 2019 Text: Anders Fjellestad and Hedvig Antoinette Halgunset
In November 2017, the first Norwegian F-35 aircraft landed on Norwegian soil, and today we have 15 fighter aircraft in Norway. Now the planes will start operating - after thorough tests, flights and evaluations. A few checkpoints remain, but within a short time the aircraft will reach their first operational capability , in the professional language called initial operational capability (IOC).
- It is important, because we are now showing that we are on track with the introduction of the F-35 in Norway. By 2025, we will be fully operational, and the IOC is the start of this. We have thus come to the starting line and are ready for work, says Colonel Lieutenant Ståle Nymoen, commander of 332 Squadron at Ørland Air Station.

CAN PROTECT NORWAY
The politicians have set a minimum limit on the number of aircraft and personnel required for the F-35 to solve missions in Norway. Now, the Air Force has met the vast majority of requirements and tested aircraft, personnel and weapons in all kinds of weather. This means increased security for Norway.
- We are trained and trained to help solve national crises and other major events, Nymoen says.
Among other things, the F-35 can be used to protect the population from terrorist attacks, or help prevent Norwegian sovereignty from being threatened.
- We will be in place quickly and unseen, and can help give decision-makers an overview and information about the situation, says Nymoen.
And at least as important: The F-35 becomes a fundamentally important supporter of the rest of the Armed Forces. The fighter planes will work closely with other departments and can feed them with time-critical information and detailed overview from places far away.

ICELAND WILL BE THE FIRST MISSION
Already in Q1 2020, Norwegian fighter aircraft will be launching their first major mission, Iceland Air Policing in Iceland. Then the Norwegian F-35 will monitor the airspace to Iceland, since the country itself does not have its own air defense. The NATO-led mission is on a tour of the member countries and will be an important test for the Norwegian fighter aircraft platform.
- What is different about the F-35 is that the platform is far more resource intensive to deploy. We need to move more equipment and personnel, and the platform requires much higher protection, says the squadron commander.
From 2022 the fighter planes will do the same job here at home, a job that the F-16 solves today. The mission is called quick reaction alert (QRA) and handled on behalf of NATO. When a foreign and unknown aircraft approaches Norwegian airspace, a Norwegian fighter jet takes off to find the foreign aircraft and ensures that it does not enter illegally into Norway. In two years, the F-35 will fulfill this mission based on Evenes. At the same time, the F-16 is retired, which has served Norway faithfully for 40 years.

THE BACK TESTING
This is a tremendous amount of work that will allow the Norwegian F-35 to start operating. For two years the phase-in has been going fast, with numerous flights and tests. Among other things, the F-35 must be adapted to a Norwegian environment and with Norwegian scenarios, both alone and with others and own forces.
The first sniper with a missile from a Norwegian F-35 was conducted in March 2019 at the Halten shooting range in Trøndelag. The missiles are of the type AIM-120, a radar-controlled air-to-air missile (AMRAAM). There is an updated version of those used on today's F-16.
In the fall, tests were also made of antidotes for the F-35. The countermeasures were heat flares, also called flares. This is a heat source fired from the airplane to divert a heat seeking missile.
F-35 also participated in exercise Oslofjord, the largest military exercise in Eastern Norway in 2019. During the exercise, the Defense tested the fighter aircraft's ability to communicate and disseminate information to other players. Among other things, the squadron trained to refuel with the engine running.


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by krorvik » 06 Nov 2019, 16:00

So, will the norwiggies be the first to take a selfie with a Bear or Blackjack from iceland? Or must we wait until Evenes?


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by mor10 » 06 Nov 2019, 17:17

krorvik wrote:So, will the norwiggies be the first to take a selfie with a Bear or Blackjack from iceland? Or must we wait until Evenes?


It was a Norwegian CF-104 pilot that took the first picture of a Mig-25. I heard him say that he was able to get close from 6-o'clock, but as soon as the Mig pilot discovered him, the Mig just pushed the throttle and the CF-104 had no chance to keep up.
Former Flight Control Technican - We keep'em flying


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by Boman » 06 Nov 2019, 19:54

Best regards
Niels


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by krorvik » 07 Nov 2019, 16:17

Another good article from tu.no, those guys must have an extra dedicated milairbuff:

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... r%2F478383

With video - was not able to get a good URL for it. Top of article.


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by krorvik » 29 Nov 2019, 22:12

So, it's friday night, we're nearing december, and rumor has it an old way of taxitraining will be resumed in the high north now that the F-35s are IOC:



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by viper12 » 30 Nov 2019, 15:08

What are the ground crews doing in the summer ? Grilling hot dogs behind the engine nozzles ?

https://youtu.be/kYw5NPSYFDY?t=77
Everytime you don't tell the facts, you make Putin stronger.

Everytime you're hit by Dunning-Kruger, you make Putin stronger.


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by krorvik » 13 Dec 2019, 14:02

When the sledding is done, it's time for christmas decorations, 332 performed the christmas formation flight using F-35s this year (a similiar flight was made from Bodø with F-16s), some articles with videos and images:

https://www.adressa.no/nyheter/trondela ... 585629.ece

https://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/i/1nzk ... ver-Bergen

Unfortunately, not in my part of the country this year. Flew right past my childhood home on the west coast though.



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