Maritime operations have always been an important task for the Luftforsvaret (Royal Norwegian Air Force, RNoAF), due to the nation’s strategically important position on NATO’s northern flank. Furthermore, as Norway’s sea territory is seven times larger than its land mass, a strong maritime warfare capability is a must for the Norwegian military.
Today the MPA task is performed by 333 Skvadron based at Andøya, located on a small island off the coastline of northern Norway, well within the Arctic Circle. The squadron is organised within the co-located 133 Luftwing, and is equipped with four P-3C Update III and two P-3N Orions. The squadron has almost 50 years’ experience with the Orion, and became the first European operator of the type when five P-3Bs were delivered in 1969, joined by a further two former US Navy P-3Bs in 1980. As these began to lag behind in terms of avionics technology, the RNoAF purchased four new P-3C Update IIIs for delivery in 1989 as P-3B replacements.
Five of the old P-3Bs were sold to the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) and the remaining two were modified to P-3N configuration (N for Norway) in 1991. During P-3N modification some of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) equipment was replaced by sensor systems optimised for maritime surveillance and environmental control, but they were also equipped with 27 seats to be used for carrying passengers. The P-3Ns are operated by 333 Skvadron mainly on Kystvakt (Norwegian Coast Guard) duties, as well as being used for aircrew proficiency training.
Between 1998 and 2000 the Norwegian P-3C fleet went through the Orion Update Improvement Program (UIP), providing the aircraft with the latest standards of avionics, electronic support measures (ESM), surveillance and sonic processing equipment. The UIP upgrade of each P-3C lasted six months and was performed by Lockheed Martin in Greenville, South Carolina. During 2009-13 the entire Orion fleet (both P-3C and P-3N) underwent the Aircraft Service Life Extension Program (ASLEP) upgrade which provided each example with new wings and horizontal stabilisers, adding another 15-20 years to the structural airframe lifetime. ASLEP was also contracted to Lockheed Martin and was carried out in Halifax, Canada.
The squadron is tasked with maritime patrol as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Typical operational tasks include ASW, anti-surface warfare, electronic intelligence, search and rescue and fisheries inspection. An important task for 333 Skvadron is to monitor Russian naval units operating out of the large Murmansk naval base, and many hours are spent patrolling over international waters of the strategically important Iceland-Norway gap, as well as north of the Kola Peninsula. The Cold War was a busy period for 333 Skvadron, with significant Soviet naval activity in the North Atlantic and Barents Sea.
Contacts with Soviet submarines or surface warships in international waters were documented and reported on a daily basis. Most of the contacts took place under friendly circumstances, but some became more intense. Examples of these included the detection of unidentified submarines operating within Norwegian national waters, even into the deep narrow fjords along Norway’s coastline. Several times during the 1980s Norwegian naval ships and 333 Skvadron Orions chased unidentified submarines in Sognefjorden, Hardangerfjorden and Tysfjorden. The P-3s dropped sonobuoys in the fjords, tracking the unidentified underwater activity, and depth charges were dropped on the objects by both Norwegian Navy vessels and Orions. Positive proof of the nature and origin of this underwater activity was never obtained, but the incidents were classified as probable submarines. The incidents stopped after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Soviet military aircraft were also encountered and photographed by 333 Skvadron in its normal operational area above international waters. These usually comprised Soviet MPAs on patrol or Soviet quick reaction alert (QRA) fighters scrambled to monitor the Norwegian P-3s. In one dramatic 1987 incident, a Soviet Su-27 damaged a Norwegian P-3B in a mid-air collision after some extremely aggressive flying by the Flanker pilot. During the 1990s the Russian Northern Fleet drastically reduced its activities, and Norwegian- Russian contacts became relatively rare. However, in recent years 333 Skvadron has noticed an increase in Russian naval movements.
The squadron also performs many non-military missions, not least SAR in the northern Atlantic or other waters where SAR helicopters are not available. With its advanced sensor package, the P-3C is well suited to locate people in distress at sea, and it can drop a SKAD (Survival Kit, Air Droppable) pack when needed. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, international operations have become increasingly important for 333 Skvadron, including support of missions aimed at reducing the terrorist threat by combating suspected human and arms trafficking in southern European or African waters. Today 333 Skvadron maintains one P-3C on readiness for deployment out-of-area at short notice as part of the Luftforsvarets FIST-L readiness concept (Forsvarets Insatsstyrke-Luft, Military Reaction Force-Air).
The future will bring considerable changes for 333 Skvadron. In March 2017 Norway signed a contract to acquire five Boeing P-8A Poseidon MPAs, which will replace the P-3 fleet as well as the Dassault 20 Falcon electronic warfare aircraft of 717 Skvadron at Gardermoen. The P-8s are planned for delivery to the RNoAF during 2021- 23. Both the US Navy and the Royal Air Force will fly the same aircraft, and the three nations are planning close co-operation in operations, logistics, maintenance and other MPA functions, including discussions of possible detachments of non-Norwegian P-8s to Norwegian air bases.
Furthermore, the Norwegian government has decided to close down Andøya air base as a costsaving measure, and relocate 333 Skvadron to Evenes air base. This decision also involves the establishment of a permanent F-35A detachment at Evenes, which was considered necessary in order to maintain a QRA fighter presence in northern Norway, as a consequence of basing the entire F-35 fleet at Ørland and closing down Bodø air base. The relocation of 333 Skvadron will be a gradual process, with the P-3 fleet expected to wind down at Andøya while the P-8 fleet is building up at Evenes. Jan Jørgensen
