An American airman refuels a Norwegian air force F-16 Fighting Falcon during an exercise Aug. 26, 2020, at Rygge Air Station in Norway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District is seeking proposals to prepare a “beddown” site for 576 military personnel at the base. (Michael Washburn/U.S. Air Force)
The U.S. military is moving ahead on development of a Norwegian airfield into a place where American and allied forces can be deployed in a crisis.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District said in a contract notice published Monday that it is seeking proposals to prepare a “beddown” site for 576 military personnel at Rygge Air Station in southern Norway.
The project, which will cost between $5 million and $10 million, calls for various site improvements related to “base expeditionary airfield resources” to support troops, the notice stated.
The bed-down site is designed to “facilitate the rapid deployment of hundreds of airmen, including shelters, dining facility and other infrastructure should they need to quickly be stationed at Rygge Air Station,” according to a separate 2024 Army statement on the plans.
The initiative is connected to a larger $200 million upgrade at the air station, which is used by American troops in Norway.
That project and others are designed to support rapid troop deployments and larger air force formations in the High North, a region where countering Russia has become a top priority for NATO and U.S. European Command.
The funding is tied to U.S. European Command’s European Deterrence Initiative, which is focused on improving military infrastructure that allied troops could need in a crisis.
The Arctic has taken on added importance in recent years for the Pentagon, given concerns about Russia’s growing military presence there.
China also has signaled an intent to play a larger role in the region, declaring itself in 2018 a “near-Arctic country” with vested interests.
Other projects at Rygge include security improvements, expanded munitions storage and a quick reaction alert facility to store fighter jets.
Besides military concerns, there is expected to be more economic competition in the High North, where melting sea ice has raised the prospect of new shipping lanes in the years to come as well as jockeying for access to the wealth of natural resources there.
