The Norwegian Armed Forces (Norwegian:Forsvaret) numbers about 30,000 personnel, including civilian employees.1 According to current (as of 2006) mobilisation plans, the strength during full mobilisation is approximately 130,000 combatant personnel.1Norway has mandatory military service for males (6-12 months of training) and voluntary service for females.
Under the Constitution, the Minister of Defence is accountable to Parliament for all activities carried out by the agencies under his/her responsibility. This means that the Ministry, as part of the executive branch of government, is responsible for supervising the activity of its subordinate agencies, among other things by carrying out overall supervisory functions.
The Armed Forces Military Organisation is headed by the "Chief of Defense" (a four star general or admiral). The Chief of Defence is both head of the military organisation and principal military adviser to the Minister of Defense. The Armed Forces Military Organisation consists of the following main structures:
Defense Staff Norway (DEFSTNOR) in Oslo acts as the staff of the Chief of Defense. It is headed by a three star general or admiral. DEFSTNOR assigns priorities, manages resources, provides force generation and support activities. The each of the four branches of defense is headed by a two star general/admiral who are subordinate to DEFSTNOR.
National Joint Headquarters (NJHQ) in Mount Jåttå close to Stavanger has operational control of Norwegian defense forces worldwide 24/7. It is headed by the Supreme Commander Norwegian Forces - a three star general or admiral. Subordinate to NJHQ is the Regional Headquarters North in Bodø. Located the same place as NJHQ is NATO's Joint Warfare Center (JWC).
Norwegian Defense Logistics Organisation (NDLO) at Kolsås outside Oslo is responsible for engineering, procurement, investment, supply, information and communications technology. It also has responsibility for maintenance, repair and storage of materiel.
Structure 2008
The Norwegian armed forces will be reorganised during the period 2005 to 2008. The structure after 2008 is planned to be as follows.