Norway has unveiled an ambitious plan to spend an additional 115 billion Krone ($11.8 billion) on defense over the next decade. This substantial funding increase is deemed necessary to mitigate against an increasingly „unstable” global security environment.
A Bold Response to a Volatile World: Unprecedented Financial Commitment
Announced recently in Oslo, this new injection of cash will be added to the revised Long-term Defense Plan 2025-2036, initially approved in 2024. This uplift would place Norway on track to reach NATO’s 3.5 percent GDP spending target by 2035. However, the national parliament must first approve the funding change and associated equipment proposals for its final implementation.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre made a clear-eyed case to justify the multibillion-dollar increase, stating that „The Ukraine war has given us new insights,” and defense equipment costs have risen. He added, „We are therefore allocating a significant increase in resources to the long-term plan, while also carefully weighing the priorities needed to rapidly strengthen Norway’s defense capabilities.”
Strategic Acquisitions: From Munitions to Submarines and Frigates
Under the proposal, 31 billion Krone would be spent by 2030, with the remaining 84 billion invested between 2030 and 2035. (Norway’s defense budget for 2026 stands at 180 billion Krone.)
The new funding is set to go directly toward „combat-critical munitions,” including the acquisition of Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) munitions, which will arm Norway’s fleet of F-35 joint strike fighters. Norway expects to sign a deal by the end of the year to procure the Northrop Grumman-produced missiles, with deliveries anticipated between 2031 and 2032.
Fortifying the Naval Fleet and Programmatic Challenges
Oslo also stressed that the additional money will be used to accelerate the pace of phasing in new Type 212CD submarines produced by Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the acquisition of the first two Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates made by UK shipbuilder BAE Systems. Norway has committed to buying six of the submarines at a total program cost of $9.69 billion and plans to acquire at least five of the surface ships, valued at an estimated £10 billion ($13.5 billion).
The Long-term Defense Plan proposal indicates that the „price for the last two [Type 212CD] submarines with associated weapons and weapons integration is higher compared to the first four, which reflects the general price development in the defense market and increased raw material prices.” It also warns of a key program risk, adding that „Several allied nations are considering the Norwegian-German submarine class and have shown interest in the cooperation, which may affect the delivery rate.”
Regarding the Type 26 procurement, the document reveals that the „frigates will be equipped with maritime helicopters with anti-submarine warfare capability as an integral part of the combat system,” but does not disclose which type of rotorcraft will be ordered. Notably, despite Leonardo reportedly offering AW101 helicopters as part of a „package” alongside the Type 26, Oslo decided against a rotorcraft order when it selected the frigate design.
Modernizing Land Forces and Reshaping Programs
In the land domain, accelerated development of the Finnmark Brigade, by two years, is also being prioritized. In August 2025, the Norwegian Armed Forces announced that the brigade „will be expanded and fully operational in 2032.” It is primarily designed to boost NATO’s presence in the Arctic.
Elsewhere, the new planning proposal discloses delays and cancellations of other key programs. „The procurement of helicopters to support the Armed Forces’ special forces and land forces has been postponed,” it notes, while an acquisition of long-range, maritime surveillance drones has been axed. „A possible collaboration with the UK on long-range drones would safeguard parts of the effect that the [cancelled] national procurement was intended to achieve,” the document added, likely referring to Britain’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian aircraft. „In addition, capability is planned to be covered through space-based solutions.” This comprehensive reshaping underscores Norway’s adaptable approach to evolving security challenges.
