Norway was the fourth member of the
European consortium (along with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark) which was formed in
the late 1970s to build the F-16 under license.
The first Fighting Falcon for the
Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret (Royal Norwegian Air Force) took off on its maiden flight
on December 12, 1979. It was built at Fokker's Schiphol plant in the Netherlands. The
first Luftforsvaret F-16 was delivered to Norway on January 15, 1980. Norway acquired 60
F-16As and 12 F-16Bs from the Netherlands' Fokker production line between January of 1980
and June of 1984. They were all constructed to Block 1, 5, 10, and 15 standards, but all
of the Block 1 and 5 aircraft were later upgraded to Block 10 standards.
Norway's short and snowy runways which
are often located at dispersed sites dictated that their F-16s be fitted with braking
parachutes to handle situations where ordinary wheel brakes could not be used. These
chutes are housed inside large rectangular extensions at the base of the tailfin.
Norwegian F-16s also carry an identification spotlight for use during long, dark winters.
The F-16s replaced the Lockheed F-104
Starfighter as the primary interceptor and fighter bomber with the KNL. The F-16A/Bs serve
with four Skvadrons (squadrons):
- Skvadron 331 based at Bodo
Transitioned to F-16 in 1981, its F-104Gs being
transferred to Turkey. Declared combat ready in summer of 1982. Transitioned to Block 15
F-16s in 1984.
- Skvadron 332 based at Rygge.
This unit serves as the OCU.
- Skvadron 334 based at Bodo
Converted to F-16 in 1982, trading in its CF-104s.
Is responsible for a secondary antishipping role Armed with the Kongsberg Penguin missile.
- Skvadron 338 based at Orland
Received Block 10 aircraft following the
transition of 331 Skvadron to Block 15 in 1984. Replaced F-5 Freedom Fighters.
The F-16s of all four squadrons perform
the air defense role and are armed with AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles. During the Cold War,
Luftforsvaret F-16s carried out numerous interceptions of Soviet warplanes out over the
North Atlantic and Barents Sea. However, all F-16 squadrons also have an air-to-surface
mission, and can carry CRV-7 unguided rockets as well as standard NATO iron bombs and
cluster bombs. These planes will later be capable of carrying AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles when
the Mid-Life Update program is complete.
The Norwegian F-16s have an important
anti-shipping role, and can also carry and launch the locally-built Kongsberg Penguin 3
antiship missile. Deliveries of the Penguin 3 began in 1987, and these missiles are
carried by the F-16s of Skvadron 334. The weapon was tested by the USAF under the
designation AGM-119. Midcourse guidance is by an inertial system and radio altimeter,
while final aiming is by a passive infrared seeker. Range is 25-27 miles, and the missile
can be programmed to fly in a random weaving pattern while en route to the target to throw
off enemy defenses.
In 1987, attrition stood at six aircraft
and Norway had hoped to buy six replacements comprising four F-16As and two F-16Bs. In the
end, this order was reduced to just two F-16Bs, both of which came from the Fort Worth
production line rather than the Fokker line at Schipol. Subseuently, six more Norwegian
F-16s have been lost in accidents, which amounted for one-fifth of those received.
56 Norwegian Block 15 F-16A/Bs ( 45 As
and 11 Bs) are scheduled to go through a Mid-Life Update (MLU) program, in which they will
be brought up to approximately F-16C/D Block 50/52 status. They will be provided with
AN/APG-66(V2A) radar, GPS navigational aids, a wide-angle HUD, night-vision goggle
capability, a modular mission computer, and a digital terrain system. The first MLU F-16s
are to be delivered to 338 Skvadron at Orland.
RNAF F-16s carry a three-digit serial
number on their tails. These numbers are the last three digits of their USAF serials,
which are assigned to all European-manufactured F-16s for record-keeping purposes.
Serials of Norwegian F-16s:
78-0272/0274 General Dynamics F-16A Block 1 Fighting Falcon
Built by Fokker for Norway (272/274)
78-0275/0284 General Dynamics F-16A Block 5 Fighting Falcon
Built by Fokker for Norway (275/284)
78-0285/0289 General Dynamics F-16A Block 10 Fighting Falcon
Built by Fokker for Norway (285/289)
78-0290/0293 General Dynamics F-16A Block 10A Fighting Falcon
Built by Fokker for Norway (290/293)
78-0294/0299 General Dynamics F-16A Block 10B Fighting Falcon
Built by Fokker for Norway (294/299)
78-0300 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15 Fighting Falcon
Built by Fokker for Norway (300)
78-0301/0302 General Dynamics F-16B Block 1 Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (301/302)
78-0303/0304 General Dynamics F-16B Block 5 Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (303/304)
78-0305 General Dynamics F-16B Block 10 Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (305)
78-0306 General Dynamics F-16B Block 10B Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (306)
78-0307 General Dynamics F-16B Block 10C Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (307)
80-3658/3659 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15 Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (658/659).
80-3660/3663 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15B Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (660/663).
80-3664/3667 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15D Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (664/667).
80-3668/3671 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15F Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (668/671).
80-3672/3675 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15H Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (672/675).
80-3676/3683 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15K Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (676/683).
80-3684/3688 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15M Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (684/688).
80-3689 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15 Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (689).
80-3690 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15B Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (690).
80-3691 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15D Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (691).
80-3692 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15F Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (692).
80-3693 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15H Fighting Falcon
built by Fokker for Norway (693).
87-0711/0712 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15AD OCU Fighting Falcon
built by Fort Worth as attrition
replacements to Norway as 711/712
Sources:
- Combat Aircraft F-16, Doug Richardson,
Crescent, 1992.
- General Dynamics Aircraft and their
Predecessors, John Wegg, Naval Institute Press, 1990.
- The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and
Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
- United States Military Aircraft Since
1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
- F-16 Fighting Falcon--A Major Review of
the West's Universal Warplane, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower Journal, Spring 1991.
- The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft,
Gallery, 1989.
- Modern Military Aircraft--F-16 Viper, Lou
Drendel, Squadron/Signal Publications, 1992.
- Lockheed F-16 Variants, Part 1, World
Airpower Journal, Volume 21, Summer 1995.
- Continental NATO Air Forces, Paul Jackson,
World Airpower Journal, Volume 1, Spring 1990.
- Lockheed Martin F-16 Operators, Part 2,
Peter R. Foster, World Airpower Journal, Vol 24, Spring 1996.
- Air Power Analysis: Scandinavia, World
AirPower Journal, Vol 34, 1998.
