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Weeks 3-4: Visited Afghanistan
The Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited the Norwegian forces in Afghanistan last week.
| | LANDED: Jonas Gahr Støre is on his way out of the C-130 Hercules at Kabul International Airport. (Photo by Lars Magne Hovtun) |
During his visit, he held a meeting with the governor of the Faryab province, Abdul Latif. He had a long list of wishes to the Norwegian foreign minister.
“The Norwegian soldiers in the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Meymaneh are there to help the Afghan government create stability. When the region is stable, humanitarian organisations can move in,” was Gahr Støre’s response.
Plans for Sudan
Ronny Hovland, Atle Hundeide and Kato Sandvik have spent five months in Darfur to plan for a full-scale UN operation there.
| | From left to right: Major Ronny Hovland, Major Atle Hundeide and Lieutenant Colonel Kato Sandvik. (Photo by the Armed Forces) |
“The UN wants a big operation in Sudan, but the Sudanese do not want the UN there. The challenge is to find a mandate which the Sudanese will accept. The political process is slow, and that makes our job difficult,” says Kato Sandvik.
Became teachers
The Norwegian 22. missile torpedo boat squadron in Lebanon were given an unusual mission by its German commander. They were to develop new concepts of communicating with the Lebanese Navy, and they were to educate Lebanese officers in these new methods.
| | DISCUSSION: Fredrik Borgmann from the Norwegian Navy exchanges advice with Lebanese colleagues. (Photo by 22. MTB-squadron) |
The commander of the Lebanese Navy, Rear Admiral Boutros Abi Nasr, is very pleased with the arrangement. “This is the first time that we cooperate so closely with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Maritime Task Force). I hope this is only the first step and that it will lead to closer integration and fruitful cooperation between us and the UNIFIL MTF,” he said.
New commander in Afghanistan
Colonel Odd Egil Pedersen is the new Norwegian contingent commander in Afghanistan.
| | NEW: Colonel Odd Egil Pedersen (right) is new Norwegian contingent commander in Afghanistan. (Photo by Lars Magne Hovtun) |
He took over command from Lieutenant Colonel Tore Brenden on Monday last week.
Successful test firing
The Norwegian Armed Forces have now tested the first two of the brand new Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
| | HIT: The two missiles hit their targets. (Photo by the Armed Forces) |
The missile has been developed for almost ten years, and the tests last week were performed outside Los Angeles in the United States of America.
“It is perhaps the only test field in the Western World which is approved for such testing. The missiles were fired from land and hit its sea targets successfully,” says project leader Knut Helge Stormoen.
Takes command in Sinai
The Norwegian Major General Kjell Narve Ludvigsen (59) is the new commander of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai from 1 March 2007.
| | CHALLENGES: The skiing track proves a challenge for the officers. (Photo by Håkon Høgetveit) |
Ski school
Officers from other NATO countries are these days learning how to ski and survive in cold weather conditions at the Norwegian Winter School at Terningmoen.
“We looked forward to coming to Norway in winter. This will be an amazing and educational time,” say Leon Langeveld and Marc Hvisman from the Royal Dutch Marine Corps.
“The winter courses back home in Holland cannot be compared with this. We therefore often send our ski instructors on courses in Norway,” they add.
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