NATO Air Operations Centre to Be Located in Bodø: Emphasis on the Importance of the High North

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor) announced on Tuesday that the mountain facility of Reitan in Bodø municipality, Northern Norway, will be the permanent location of NATO's third Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC).

The news was revealed during a press conference in Stormen library in the capital of Nordland county, where the Prime Minister emphasized the security policy importance of the High North as central to the government's choice.

"As we are to establish NATO infrastructure in Norway, which we have been invited to do, this was the main argument for the government's choice of Bodø," Støre tells High North News and adds:

"The High North has been Norway's security policy priority for 20 years. Here, we pay special attention to the fact that we are a neighbor of Russia, and there is increased interest in the Arctic. Much of our strengthening of the Armed Forces is taking place in the north, including the build-up of our new Navy. Sweden and Finland's entry into NATO comes on top of this as well."

The location news comes just under a week after the government announced that it is initiating work to prepare temporary premises for the air operations centre at the Bodø Air Base.

At the temporary location, the regional CAOC will begin performing tasks for NATO already this year and for the first few years to come, while renovations to the Reitan facility are carried out. 

"First, we will establish the temporary centre, which will be up and running as early as this fall. This will then gradually be built into the Norwegian Armed Forces' Joint Headquarters at Reitan, which will also be modernised and renewed," says Prime Minister Støre.

Important security policy assessment

Two main locations in Norway have been assessed for the new CAOC: Rygge Air Force Base, located one hour outside Oslo, as well as Reitan outside Bodø in Northern Norway. 

During the press conference, Støre expressed that the government has considered both alternatives to be very good, and he clarified that the geographical location in itself is not decisive for the center's tasks – namely, plan, direct, coordinate, and control air operations over large areas.

"However, I would like to emphasise that it is the security policy assessment – and the importance of moving NATO infrastructure northwards – that has been important to us," Støre emphasizes.

"The decision to locate the centre in the north has a security policy justification in that we show that NATO also belongs in the north; that NATO has a responsibility here in the north, and that we have experiences in the north that overall provide a very good environment and framework for this task," he adds.

While the decision follows the Chief of Defence's recommendation, it is also based on the fact that the Bodø region has been developed into an important defence and emergency preparedness region, Støre further points out.

"When the air operations centre is located here, we strengthen the entire region as a hub to solve missions for our defence and for our Alliance. Bodø is already home to the Chief of the Air Force and the Armed Forces' Joint Headquarters, which are absolutely central to our defense. In addition, there are important civilian functions such as the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre."

"A big day for Bodø"

To HNN, Mayor of Bodø Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen (Conservative Party) expresses that this is a big day for Bodø.

"We have worked extremely hard with this for over a year. However, this is still just the beginning. This can open up many new opportunities for Bodø," says Ingebrigtsen.

The NATO center is expected to bring up to 400 new jobs to the city, both from Norwegian defense employees and personnel from NATO.

"Last year, we began to notice the end result of the fact that we lost 1000 man-years after the closure of the military main air station. Now we can get almost half back in connection with the NATO center," says the mayor, and adds:

"In my opinion, the establishment is also important to increase the safety and security of both Norway and our allies. It is great that we will now have an increased physical presence of NATO in the north."

Major investments

The investment costs for the air operations centre alone are currently estimated at about NOK 4.8 billion, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence states in a press release.

The investment cost for the air operations centre at Reitan is currently estimated at between NOK 6.7 and 9.4 billion. These estimates also include the planned upgrade of the Norwegian Armed Forces' Joint Headquarters. Part of these costs are covered by NATO, the ministry writes.