Ceremonies were held at the Lockheed Martin F-35 production facility celebrating the rollout of the first F-35A Lightning II for the Norwegian armed forces. The event marked an important production milestone for the future of Norway’s national defence.

“We all know that the F-35 is not simply another fighter. We know that it is much more,” said Her Excellency Ine Eriksen Søreide, Norwegian Minister of Defence. “The F-35 provides us a capability we’ve never had before. It’s by far the most advanced fighter ever made. Today we are indeed turning the future into the present. The F-35 represents a new way of thinking, a new way of operating, which will benefit the entire Norwegian armed forces.”

The fifth-generation F-35As will transition the Norwegian armed forces into a next-generation net-centric fighter force capable of assuring the nation’s territorial integrity and national security.

The F-35 Lightning II aircraft provides the Norwegian industry with high technology work, ensuring the future health, competitiveness and viability of the defence industry in Norway. Work on the F-35 programme has provided Norwegian industry with more than $450 million in contracts to date, along with opportunities for additional work over the life of the programme.