Norway to hike defense spendings in mid-year revised budget
The Government on Thursday added 7 billion kroner (€590 million) to Norway’s defense budget for 2024.
“This is for expenditures that can’t wait,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a press-briefing in Oslo.
“Buildings, facilities, maintenance, air defense and ammunitions,” Støre elaborated. Money will be made available for more training, exercises and operations for the second half of 2024.
The Government’s revised national budget for 2024 will in full be presented on May 14.
Also, by presenting the hike in the defense budget now, the Norwegian delegation to NATO’s up-coming summit in Washington in July can enter the room well aware that Norway already has reached the alliance’s goal for member states to spent 2% of GDP on military.
Earlier this week, the Government allocated an additional 6 billion kroner (€506 million) to air-defense systems for Ukraine.
Air-defense systems is also among the top priorities as Norway’s own military now gets an additional boost. With the extra money to Ukraina and today’s hike in spendings at home, Norway’s defense budget for 2024 increases from 91 to 104 billion kroner.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada pledges billions for defence, falls short of NATO’s 2%, CBC News
Denmark: Denmark’s Arctic, North Atlantic focus: Canada among new defence attaché posts, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Military exercise apparently disrupts weather images from Lapland, Yle News
Iceland: Iceland authorizes U.S. submarine service visits, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Against Russian aggression: Norway signs security agreement with Ukraine, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Military investigators conduct raids in Murmansk region to enlist young men, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: US Army sends heavy equipment to Arctic Norwegian port for transfer to Finland, Eye on the Arctic
