US supports Norway

Some restructuring planned, but US commits to send more Marines

Photo: Ned Alley / NTB scanpix
U.S. Marines arrive near Trondheim in 2017. This fall, 400 more Marines will be sent to Norway.

NTB

Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe-Africa command told the newspaper Klassekampen that the U.S.  commitment to Norway remains solid.

“We want to continue to develop our strong cooperative defense with Norway,” he said.

He added that the American participation in Norwegian exercises will increase and that their continued presence will be more dynamic.

“We expect to send about 400 Marines to Norway toward the end of this fall and about 1,000 Marines in early 2021,” he said.

The change plan for the U.S. Marine Corps goes by the name “Force Design 2030.” The changes will occur as a result of the U.S. Navy Corps’ plan  to align itself as a maritime force in the future, no longer prioritizing land combat.

More specifically, the U.S. Marine Corps will aim to carry out military missions in the South China Sea, Klassekampen reported.

Among other things, the changes mean that U.S. forces will get rid of tanks and large parts of field equipment. In addition, the number of troops will be cut by 12,000.

Translated by Lori Ann Reinhall

This article originally appeared in the Sept. 4, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.