Lockheed Martin has delivered the Norwegian air force’s first three F-35 fighter jets from a company facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to a military base in Norway.
AÂ First Aircraft Arrival celebration will take place Monday at Orland Air Base to mark the delivery of initial F-35s to the country, the Norwegian government said Saturday.
Major Gen. Morten Klever, F-35 program director at Norwegian defense ministry, said the aircraft will help increase operational capability of the country’s air force and that the service branch plans to start training with the aircraft.
The Norwegian government looks to procure as many as 52 F-35 units and expects to receive six aircraft each year from 2018 through 2024.