Norway to grant US access to 8 more military facilities

Norway and the US have agreed to expand Pentagon access to Norwegian military facilities as part of an addendum to a 2022 bilateral defence cooperation agreement, the kingdom's government said.

According to Interfax, Norwegian Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram and US Ambassador to Oslo Mark Nathanson signed a document amending the earlier agreement to allow the Pentagon to use an additional eight military facilities on the country's territory.

The newly agreed facilities include Andøya and Bardufoss airfields, the Setermoen base and training range in northern Norway, Erland airfield, Vernes base and Namsen fuel terminal in the central part of the country, the main Håkonsvern naval base near the city of Bergen, an underground complex in the Osmark caves and the south of the country, among others.

"Pending the consent of the Norwegian Parliament, these facilities may be used by Norway, the United States and other allied forces for several military purposes. The signing (of the addendum) further advances the defence cooperation agreement that the Norwegian parliament adopted in June 2022," the US ambassador to Norway said.

The addendum to the agreement must be approved by the Norwegian parliament.