Photo Of The Day and we have a guard ahead of the F-35A aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force at Evenes Air Base during exercise Falcon Deploy 2021. The F-35A is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth, fifth-generation, multi-role combat aircraft ordered by several NATO allies.  The Heckler & Koch HK416N has a AG-HK416 Grenade Launcher.

In 2008 the Norwegian government selected the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) as a replacement for their fleet of F-16s. Almost ten years after, in 2017, the first aircraft arrived at the Ørland Air Base and this is still the main base.

Below: F-35 from the Royal Norwegian Air Force lands at Evenes Air Base during exercise Falcon Deploy 2021.

In 2020 the Royal Norwegian Air Force conducted their first international deployment with the F-35 during NATO Air Policing missions in Iceland. Norway has seven F35s operational with a total of 52 planned.

For more really cool air force pictures check out the “U.S. Air Force B-1B & B-2A bombers with Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35As” and “F-35A Combat Power Exercise” POTDs.

Photo Source: Norwegian Defense, Forsvaret, Ronja Natalie Røe Nilsen.