Norwegian Armed Forces

[Technofox]

Hey look, no snow! Bring back the cold please, I'm too hot!

Soldiers from the Norwegian Army's land warfare school training at Camp Rena.

If u have, bring some Swedish non - Muslim member to join here... it ll be fun for readers.

I'll ask around and see what Eastern reprobates I can scrounge up and lure here with the promise of cheap booze and endless jokes about Denmark.

 

[Parthu]

@Technofox

Can you give a rundown of the various camouflage patterns in use by the Norwegian armed forces (all services)...who wears what?

While you're at it...let me dump more work on you: can you tell us about the evolution of camo used by the Norwegian Army specifically? What they used way back when?

 

[Sathya]

I have few dumb doubts ..

1. Glasses soldier wear , are they bullet proof ?

2. APC. , tanks have only 2 headlights many times .. What ll happen if they got broken ? Can drive by other sights or some radar navigation ?

 

[Technofox]

@Technofox

Can you give a rundown of the various camouflage patterns in use by the Norwegian armed forces (all services)...who wears what?

While you're at it...let me dump more work on you: can you tell us about the evolution of camo used by the Norwegian Army specifically? What they used way back when?

. Ok, give me some time to gather my pictures and I'll give you a rundown of camo in service and all the way back to WWII. This will take several posts though.

In the mean time I'll answer @Sathya 's questions then get to work. Do you want uniforms too? Or headware? Or just camo?

1. Glasses soldier wear , are they bullet proof ?

Bullet, shatter and splinter resistant, but if hit directly with anything larger then a 22lr the bullet isn't going to be stopped. To actually stop bullets you'd need something heavier like a police riot visor.

But glasses help greatly with other battlefield hazards like sand or light glare, and can deflect glancing blows from shrapnel or even glancing bullets, just not a direct strike.

2. APC. , tanks have only 2 headlights many times .. What ll happen if they got broken ? Can drive by other sights or some radar navigation ?

They have searchlights too, and panoramic sights for the commander which combines daylight, thermal and image intensifiers, which if all else fails they can go back to navigation via radio command like during WWII. CV90 combat vehicles have thermal sights for their cannons which can be used for navigation, and some CV90s also have extendable thermal masts. The CV90 Recce variant that's unique to the Norwegian Army has a Giraffe radar, but that's for air search, not navigation.

Norwegian CV90 can use their protector RWS for general navigation as well.

Same deal with the Leopard 2. They don't typically carry the Protector RWS, but they do have multiple backup sight options.

And if those fail, then you could also bolt on a few floodlights too.

 

[Parthu]

. Ok, give me some time to gather my pictures and I'll give you a rundown of camo in service and all the way back to WWII. This will take several posts though.

In the mean time I'll answer @Sathya 's questions then get to work. Do you want uniforms too? Or headware? Or just camo?

Yeah, uniforms & headwear would also be welcome (including webbing/load carriers/vests if you please). But only combat/field uniforms.....ceremonial dresses are boring .

 

[Technofox]

Yeah, uniforms & headwear would also be welcome (including webbing/load carriers/vests if you please). But only combat/field uniforms.....ceremonial dresses are boring .

Alright, I'll start with infantry, before switching to naval and air force and special forces kit. Support forces, and tankers in the Army have special cover-alls, but not a different camo set. Orders from oldest to most modern:

WWII partisan.

Forest during ops in Lebanon.

Forest circa 1998.

Winter forest.

Forest during ops in Kosovo.

Desert in Iraq. True story; Norwegian troops went into Afghanistan in 2003 with forest camo. Desert camo is a fairly recent addition.

Modern winter.

Modern desert. Sorry I don't have a better picture, it's not as if Norwegian troops spend too much time in the desert as is.

Modern forest.

That's basically it. There has been very little variance in the uniforms of the Norwegian Army over the years. Since the adoption of the M/51 uniform post-WWII there have only been a few changes, mostly in recent years.

 

[Technofox]

One thing to keep in mind as we go forward is that air force and naval crews didn't have their own camo historically, they'd just use what was army standard. But they did have their own uniforms too, for specialist MOSs.

For instance naval SAR.

And air force SAR (I'm very familiar with this one).

Ship aircraft maintenance and signalers.

Fire fighter old.

New.

At this point you might be asking "are these old or new uniforms" and the answer is "yes". There hasn't been much change in the gear used by naval or air forces over the years, even less then in the Norwegian army. Material changes are where the biggest differences lay.

You only see camo used by naval special forces and ship self defence teams. and though special forces have their own kit, naval crews use army standard.

Even going back to the 50s and 60s when the Norwegian Navy and Air Force were rebuilding post WWII the changes from then to today are less pronounced then with army camo or uniforms, which themselves aren't too significant. Mostly material changes, not shape or color.

You'll see a much bigger difference in the kit used by Norwegian special forces over the years. We'll explore that next. But first I've got to go to sleep. You're lucky I'm a nightowl.

 

[Technofox]

Special forces. Three units, all different gear! Starting with the most recent addition to the Norwegian special operations command - KJK. KJK is a specialist unit within the Norwegian Navy that's responsible for ISTAR operations on the Norwegian coast.

Early on their loadout wasn't seen anywhere else in the Norwegian Armed Forces. G36 rifles, non-standard helmets and plate carriers, it was all different. Today however they're more streamlined with Garm clothing, Skjold plate carriers, HK416N or HK416K rifles and Ops Core helmets. Their winter kit is army standard.

Operationally members of KJK wear environment appropriate gear, such as this desert getup in Afghanistan. This picture, from 2007, shows the HK417 rifle before adoption with the Norwegian Armed Forces, so it's still in trials.

 

[Technofox]

FSK is the Norwegian army's premiere counter-terrorism unit, which an emphasis on training foreign forces. They're kit has undergone fairly large changes over the years.

Early on the unit had access to popular kit with foreign counter-terrorism forces. Black Nomex clothing, M4 rifles and MP5 smgs, gas masks or balaclavas for anonymity, it was kit straight out of the British SAS' playbook.

Change happened though, albeit gradually. First they got new plate carriers.

Following with new camo.

And new rifles.

 

[Technofox]

Today FSK is almost indistinguishable from other special forces units.

Like with KJK, FSK forces abroad wear whatever's appropriate for their environment. We've seen several variants on FSK forces operating in Afghanistan.

 

[Technofox]

Early on MJK also wore foreign special forces standard. There wasn't a whole lot differentiating them from their counterparts on the continent, such as the British SAS. What was en vogue during the time was what they used.

It wasn't until the mid 2000s that you started to see more Norwegianized kit on MJK.

Like KJK and FSK, MJK's modern kit is primarily from the NFM Groups profolio - Garm, Skjold, Ops Core and so on. They have several camo variantions for operations in differing environs.

Shared with KJK and FSK are heavy winter jackets and naval wet kit.

MJK is still active in Afghanistan, frequently participating in counter-terrorism activities such as siege breaking or direct action. As such, MJK is sporting modern kit, albeit with smaller plate carriers for mobility.

 

[Technofox]

Finishing up with special forces, we'll take a look as some of the specialist kit each unit has. FSK has pressure suits for HALO jumps.

Norway has few airborne units, but FSK is one of them. The unit has access to parachutes for static jumps as well.

MJK are the Norwegian Navy's frogman unit, or SEAL as they're more commonly known. The unit has access to water operations specific kit including dive gear, noise-suppressed water craft and navy submarines.

MJK, as shown above in their section is also trained for airborne operations and frequently trains with USAF V-22s. Using air force C-130 or army Bell 412SPs for static jumps like FSK, MJK can also be seen coopting Army helos for rapid insertions and aerial gunnery.

A highly specialized unit with expertise in operations on waterways, mountains and cold weather climates, KJK is a unique Norwegian unit. Focusing on ISTAR operations, they're capable of hit-and-run attacks against enemy shipping using either naval or man-portable hellfire launchers.

KJK is the only unit within the Norwegian Armed Forces to operation the SB90N fast attack craft.

 

[Technofox]

You might be asking yourself "Technofox, aren't you missing older gear? Hasn't the Norwegian Armed Forces had more kit going back to the 50s and 60? Aren't you just being lazy and posting more modern gear only?"

The answer is yes, I am lazy. Thank you for acknowledging my efforts. But more to point there's a reason and that's because there has been so little turnover in the Norwegian Armed Forces over the years. Take rifles for instance:

Post WWII (1964) the United States donated 72,800 M1 rifles to Norway. The M1 is still used during ceremonies by the KP.3 drill team.

Before that the primary arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces was the Krag-Jørgensen Model 1898.

Following the M1 was the AG3 which is still in-service with select Home Guard units and is used as a training rifle for cadets. Production of the AG3 ended in 1974.

The AG3 was partially modernized for operations in Afghanistan.

Following the AG3 were trails of the G36 and limited adoption by KJK.

Instead of purchasing the G36, the Norwegian Armed Forces brass were told that a G36 replacement was finishing development and would be available next year. This rifle was the HK416 which the Norwegian Armed Forces adopted service wide as the HK416N and HK416K carbine in 2007.

Since a marksman variant of the HK416 has been produced. It's known as the HK416S.

You'll see the same with nearly all Norwegian Armed Forces gear. Two frigate classes - Oslo and Nansen. Two Corvette classes - Hauk and Skjold. Two tank classes - Leopard I and Leopard 2. Two APC classes - M113 and CV90. Two submarine classes - Kobben and Ula, with the Ula set to be replaced by 2025 by the Type 212A mod. Two AShMs - Penguin and NSM - and Penguin, first entering service in 1972, was just replaced by NSM in 2011!

The Norwegian Air Force has seen a bit more turnover going from the Gladiator and Tiger Moth to the P-36 to the F-86, followed by the F-104, then F-5, F-16 and finally the F-35. Aging Sea King helicopters are just starting to be replaced with the AW101 while the Lynx were replaced by the NH90 just a few years ago. The Bell 412SP is still in service with no replacement yet settled on.

You get the idea, stuffs remained in service for a while. The Norwegian Armed Forces didn't really start their post-WWII rebuild until the 1960s and since then has focused on modernization, rather then the replacement of gear.

 

[Technofox]

The history of Norwegian helmets is much longer and more varied then most kit in use with the Norwegian Armed Forces, and for the most part has a very German tinge. It's important to remember that up until 1905 Norway wasn't an independent country, but part of the Union of Norway and Sweden. However, during WWI Norway had begun to forge it's own military identity, with German help of course.

The first helmet in use by a newly independent Norway was the WWI vintage M1916 of the German Army. Some where as is, but others like this were remade with new rivets and a Norwegian made chinstrap and helmet liner. The decal has been replaced at least twice.

The Swedish made M1926 is the next evolution. Issued to Norwegian MPs trained in Sweden during the Norwegian Army's exile during German Occupation, these crude helmets also found their way to civil defence units, painted yellow, a standard that continues today in the headware of civil medical personnel and firefighters.

The "Baltic Helmet", better known as the Norwegian 1931 is next in line. It was designed by Sweden's Eskilstuna Stålpressning A/B, however after 100 pre-production series helmets production switched to Norway's Raufoss A/S.

The M1931 embossed with the national crest was re-designated M1935. The crest was applied to get soldiers to stop wearing the helmet backwards, which wasn't an uncommon problem.

I'm skipping over some civil defence only helmets, but one oddity that also saw service with the Norwegian Navy was the American M1917.

After WWII the Norwegian army saw its units being outfitted with the British and Commonwealth MK II helmet. Similar to the American M1917 in shape, the holes on these helmets suggest that they're South African in origins.

Another British helmet in use was the RAC MKII with the MK III liner and a MK IV chinstrap with a quick release.

Rounding out the WWII British headwear in use with the Norwegian Armed Forces was the Despatch Rider's Helmet MK I, used by mounted forces.

 

[Technofox]

The German M1935, M1949 and M1942 became standard until 1958. Very typical German design.

Standardized in 1958 was the American designed M1 helmet. It replaced German and British helmets service wide. Most in Norwegian service had their shells manufactured in Austria by Heinrich Ulbricht's Witwe with the liners coming from Danish company Dansk Kunststof Industri.

in 1994 a new helmet came along further reinforcing the point I was making previously, kit stays in Norwegian service for a while before being replaced. It took 36 years for the Norwegian Armed Forces to replace the M1. The new helmet was simply known as the M1994. This particular one has had green paint painted over UN colors.

The RBR ballistic helmet came next, but wasn't around for long. It was used by peacekeepers in Bosnia.

And following the RBR came the Soldat-2000 helmet. With an order of 99,000 helmets delivered between 2000 and 2003 it's still around with select Home Guard units and cadets.

But as you've seen throughout this thread, it's being phased out too. Today's standard in the Norwegian Armed Forces is the Ops-Core Fast Ballistic Helmet.

There are a few other helmets in use, for specialists like helicopter or fighter aircraft pilots, medical crews and tankers. Here's a brief example of the modern offings.

I'll get around to these a bit later.

 

[Parthu]

Tusen Takk

Edit: Google tells me that's ^^ how you say thank you very much in Norwegian...but it also says Tusen means Thousand...so I guess it's a thousand thanks for you then.

 

[Technofox]

Operations in Iraq. The Norwegian Task Force in Iraq consists of both force protection, medical, and foreign forces training personnel.

Unlike most foreign forces deployed to Iraq, the Norwegian Task Force was designed to operate independently outside of camps of the Iraqi Army or allied forces.

Tusen Takk

Edit: Google tells me that's ^^ how you say thank you very much in Norwegian...but it also says Tusen means Thousand...so I guess it's a thousand thanks for you then.

It translates literally to "Thousand Thanks", but mean "Many thanks" when used, so you weren't far off on their count.

 

[Technofox]

Force protection forces defend critical infrastructure, dignitaries and overseas assets. One example would be the FAST - Fly-away security team - deployed by the Norwegian Army to Mali to provide security to forces assigned to UN missions.

This particular FAST was assigned with the Norwegian Tactical Air Lift Detachment (NORTAD).

Bet you didn't know the C-130 had a hatch above the cockpit.

 

[Technofox]

Force protection forces often don't come from the Norwegian Army, rather they're assigned from special forces units.

This team from the Marinens jegervåpen (An umbrella group encompassing KJK, MDK and the Tactical Boat Squadron) was deployed on KNM Helge Ingstad during the RECSYR mission, which was UN mandated to secure and transport Syrian chemical weapons.

 

[Angel Eyes]

Operations in Iraq. The Norwegian Task Force in Iraq consists of both force protection, medical, and foreign forces training personnel.

Unlike most foreign forces deployed to Iraq, the Norwegian Task Force was designed to operate independently outside of camps of the Iraqi Army or allied forces.

It translates literally to "Thousand Thanks", but mean "Many thanks" when used, so you weren't far off on their count.

How many casualties Norwegian army had to bear in recent years while carrying out operations for Nato in Middle east or Afghanistan ??