Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s
Air Power Conference 2017
Evolution to a 5th
Generation Air Force
-Norway’s Shield and Sword?
Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy
7 February - 9 February 2017
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RNoAF Academy
Welcome to The Chief of the Royal
Norwegian Air Force’s Air Power Conference 2017
It is with great pleasure that the Air Force Academy, on behalf of the
Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, welcomes you all to this
year’s Air Power Conference here in Trondheim.
The topic of the 2017 conference is the possibilities and challenges
that the introduction of new platforms and technology presents to
the Norwegian Air Force in particular, and the Norwegian Armed
Forces in general. Strategic Air Force planners have claimed that the
procurement of a capability like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a key
element for the defense of Norway’s interests in the future. However,
in order for the F-35 to realize its full potential, and become the
“Shield and Sword” of Norway, it will also demand a development of
the surrounding and supporting systems into what has been termed a “5th Generation Air
Force”.
“5th Generation Air Force” has been launched as a term for the desired future state of the
Norwegian Air Force. This necessarily implies that we will have to change and adapt in order
to exploit the full potential of this platform and other new systems in a joint and combined
future environment. The conference is therefore aimed at shedding light on the implications
this challenge might entail, for the Air Force, but also inevitably for the other Services and
the Joint community.
Several questions arise. What will be the role of the new aircraft? Do we have the right
concepts, procedures, technology, organization and competence in order to utilize the
aircraft? What will be Norway’s defense structure and doctrine in the future? What will be
the balance between national defense and international operations?
The annual Air Power Conference has over the years become one of the leading conferences
on military power in the Nordic countries. Our goal is to place military power in general, and
air power in particular, into a larger context of security and defense policies. The increasing
popularity of the conference bears witness to how this approach and the perspectives it
affords are of interest to professionals in our field. This year’s conference had a record
number of individuals who wanted to attend the seminar: almost 400 – unfortunately, the
capacity is only 330.
A conference at the Air Force Academy, however, is more than simply talks and discussions
on topics relevant to the military profession during the daytime. It is also an opportunity
to meet old colleagues and make new acquaintances in a pleasant social atmosphere in the
evenings. The social high point is the traditional cod dinner on Wednesday evening.
I trust you will enjoy and benefit from this year’s conference, and hope you will all spend
some rewarding days here with us at the Academy!
Morten Henriksen
Colonel
Commandant, The Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy
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Program
Tuesday 7 February
The Premises of the Norwegian
Defence Debate
Welcome speech by the Commandant of the
RNoAF Academy, Colonel Morten Henriksen.
12:00 - 12:15 Conference Opening
The Royal Norwegian Air
Force Band
Opening remarks by the Chief of the Royal
Norwegian Air Force, Major General Tonje
Skinnarland
Øistein Espenes is Associate Professor at the
Air Power Department at the Norwegian Air
Force Academy. He is a historian and his areas
are Norwegian foreign policy and Airpower. He
was Dean of the Academy from 2001 to 2009.
12:15 - 12:30
12:30 - 13:00
Administrative information by the project
officer for the Air Power Conference 2017,
Major Steinar Skaar.
13:00 - 13:20
13:20 - 13:50
Ine Eriksen Søreide is the Norwegian Minister
of Defense (2013 --) and former Leader of the
Norwegian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee (2009-2013).
13:50 - 14:20
Karl-Heinz Kamp was the Security Policy
Coordinator of the Konrad Adenauer
Foundation in Berlin (2003-2007). He served
as the Research Director of the NATO Defense
College (NDC) in Rome to build up NATO’s
Research Division (2007-2013). He is currently
President of the German Federal Academy for
Security Policy (BAKS) in Berlin.
14:20 - 14:45
14:45 - 15:20
15:20 - 15:40
Catherine Ashton is a British Labour politician
who was the High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the
European Union from 2009 to 2014. Under the
Treaty of Lisbon, this post is combined with
the post of Vice-President of the European
Commission.
Torbjørn L. Knutsen – is Professor of Political
Science at the Norwegian University of Science
and Technology (NTNU) and professor II
at the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy.
Knutsen has been a lecturer at (among
others) Vanderbilt University, the University
of Southern California and George Mason
University. He has chaired the Norwegian
Security Policy Board, convened by then
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
19:00
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Opening Remarks by the
Chief of the RNoAF
Tonje Skinnarland
Introduction
Øistein Espenes & Steinar
Skaar
Opening Speech
Ine Eriksen Søreide
Break
Norway and NATO seen
from Germany
Karl-Heinz Kamp
Norway, an Anomaly in
European Security Policy?
Catherine Ashton
Break
Panel discussion
Epilogue: A New Defence
Force – New Security
Policy? Is the Balance
of Deterrence and
Reassurance still the
Norwegian Strategy?
Torbjørn Knutsen
Informal gathering in the
Royal Norwegian Air Force
Academy’s Officers’ Mess.
Program
Wednesday 8 February
On the importance of
controlling the Air
Dr. Lars Peder Haga is an associate professor
at the Department of Air Power Studies at the
Royal Norwegian Air Power Academy. He holds
a PhD in Soviet history from the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology.
08:30 - 08:40 The RNoAF Band
08:40 - 08:45 Opening Remarks
Lars Peder Haga
08:45 - 09:15 Norway, F-35 and
Command of the Air – a
Prerequisite for Rapid
Assistance in Times of
Crisis?
Karsten “Hazel” Heckl
09:15 - 09:45 F-35: Its capability in the
air-to-air role.
Morten Hanche
09:45 - 10:10 Break
10:10 - 10:40 From Branding to Reality
–the Norwegian 5th
Generation Air Force
Tonje Skinnarland
10:40 - 11:15 Panel discussion
Major Morten «Dolby» Hanche has more
than 2200 hours behind him in the F-16, he is a
U.S. Navy Test Pilot School graduate, and on 10
November 2015 he became the first Norwegian
to fly the F-35. He now serves as an instructor
pilot with the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke
Air Force Base in Arizona.
UK officer To Be Announced (TBA)
Brigadier General Karsten “Hazel” Heckl is
Chief of Staff of the Naval Striking and Support
Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), Lisbon,
Portugal. (2016 --).
Colonel Torgeir Aas is the Commander of the
Norwegian 135 Air Wing.
Lunch & Lectures - “Key Capabilities for
Norway’s 5. Generation Air Force”
Lt Col Christoffer H. Eriksen is Head of
Operational (Ops) Support Section, Norwegian
Inspectorate of Air Operations. Dr. (PhD) Karl
Erik Olsen. Research manager at the Norwegian
Defence Research Establishment (FFI).
Each of the following lectures will be presented twice from
11:25-11:50 and 12:15-12:40
Seminar attendees can choose two of the following five lectures
Dr. Karl Erik Olsen. Research manager at the
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
(FFI).
Cadet Lars E. Van Graas is a cadet at the Royal
Norwegian Air Force Academy. He has worked
three years at the Norwegian Operational
Headquarter (FOH), and six months service
at the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC)
Lille Norge
P-8 Poseidon: Capabilities
and Possibilities
Gråkallen
SPECOPS Theory for 5th
Generation Non-Linear Air
Operations
Startsalen
Blue Factory
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Torgeir Aas
Christoffer H. Eriksen
Air Force Project “TAKTIKK”
– a Cornerstone of the Future
5. Generation Air Force?
Karl Erik Olsen
Force Protection in a 5th
Generation Air Force
John Martin Hope
Program
Wednesday 8 February
“The Sword and the Shield”?
What does 5th Generation
Air Force Mean?
Major General Tonje Skinnarland is the
Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. She
has occupied a range of positions in the
Norwegian Armed Forces, including Head of the
Department for National Security Policy, Crisis
Response and Readiness in the Departement of
Defence (2010-2015) and Commander of Air
Station Maagerø (2007-2010)
13:00 - 13:10 In Memoriam of Wilhelm
Mohr
Jan Blom Pettersen
13:10 - 13:35 How will the F-35 change
Norway’s Ability to
Influence Russia’s Bastion
Defense Concept?
Lars Erik Van Graas
13:35 - 14:00 A Norwegian Perspective
on 5th Generation Air
Operations
Bjørn “Joik” Mannsverk
14:00 - 14:25 Break
14:25 - 14:50 The Importance
of Education and
Competence in a 5th
Generation Air Force
Dag Henriksen
14:50 - 15:20 Panel discussion
15:20 - 15:40 Epilogue: On the 1974
Combat Aircraft Analysis,
the Purchase of the F-35,
and the Idea of a 5th
Generation Air Force.
Ole Jørgen Maaø
18:30 - 24:00 Formal Dinner in the
Royal Norwegian Air Force
Academy’s Officers’ Mess
Lt Col Bjørn “Joik” Mannsverk is an
experienced F-16 pilot, and currently Head
of “Current Operations” at the National Air
Operations Centre (NAOC).
Lt Col Dag Henriksen is the Head of the
Airpower Department at the Norwegian Air
Force Academy. He is an air battle manager by
trade, and a professor in military studies.
Associate Professor (PhD) Ole Jørgen Maaø
is a historian, and senior lecturer in airpower at
the RNoAF Academy’s Airpower Department.
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Program
Thursday 9 February
Debating 5th Generation Air Force
in a Joint Perspective
Major Freddy Moland is a senior lecturer in
airpower at the Norwegian Air Force Academy.
08:30 – 08:35 Opening remarks: On the
5th Generation Air Force?
Freddy Moland
08:35 – 08:55 The Army’s perspective
on the 5th Generation Air
Force
Odin Johannessen
08:55 – 09:15 The Navy’s perspective
on the 5th Generation Air
Force
Lars Saunes
09:15 – 09:35 The Norwegian
Operational
Headquarter’s perspective
on the 5th Generation Air
Force
Rune Jakobsen
09:35 – 10:00 Break
10:00 – 10:10 The RNoAF Bands
Major General Tonje Skinnarland is the Chief
of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
Major General Odin Johannessen is the Chief
of the Norwegian Army.
Rear Admiral Lars Saunes is the Chief of the
Royal Norwegian Navy.
Lieutenant General Rune Jakobsen was the
Inspector General of the Norwegian Army
(2013-2015) He is currently the Head of the
Norwegian Operational Headquarter (2015 --).
Ambassadør (P) Niels Egelund was Chief
Adviser on Foreign and Defence Policy, Prime
Minister’s Office (1994-1999); Denmarks
Ambassador to NATO (1999-2003), and
Denmarks Ambassador to France (2003-2009).
10:10 – 10:55 Panel discussion
10:55 – 11:20 Seminar epilogue: the
Norwegian quest for a 5th
generation Air Force in
perspective
Niels Egelund
11:20 – 11:30 Closing Remarks by
the Chief of the RNoAF
Tonje Skinnarland
11:30 - 12:30 Lunch/departure
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