Norwegian submarines are
instructed to sail more outside Northern Norway, but lack important
support facilities on land, one year after Norway abandoned its Arctic
base of Olavsvern.
The Norwegian submarines are diesel-electric and
have batteries that need charging every fourth or fifth week, says Head
of the Norwegian Submarine Forces Commodore Erik Bøe to NRK.
When the Olavsvern base outside Tromsø was closed, the submarines lost
the only possibility for charging batteries in Northern Norway.
The submarines now have to go to the Norwegian Navy’s main base at Haakonsvern outside Bergen to get their batteries charged.
The Norwegian Government has declared that Northern Norway is a
priority and that increased presence of Norwegian naval vessels on
northern latitudes is a goal. In spite of this, Olavsvern – one of two
bases in Norway with a mountain hangar and with specialists and
equipment to maintain submarines, was abandoned one year ago.
The Norwegian Navy plans to move a floating quay with from Olavsvern
to the Ramsund naval base in Nordland County. This could make it
possible to charge the submarines’ batteries in Northern Norway,
Commodore Bøe says. (Original news)
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