Deals on Mobile Phones: Proposes increased firepower at the Russian border

– Russia’s conduct in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea has demonstrated the challenges of being a small neighboring to a superpower with global ambitions. Then it is also appropriate to downsize Armed Forces in the north, says Jacob Børresen, formerly CEO of the Navy.

He wants a permanent standing army in Kirkenes and Porsanger in Finnmark.

Internal memos and classified documents that NRK has gained access to show that a number of bases and military camps could be closed down while the defense wants to build up other departments – like the Army in Finnmark.

Equipment border

In the internal memo discloses that limit soldiers in the future will be strengthened:

This is time, believes Børresen.

He says it has encountered a military vacuum in Finnmark without ground forces, and believes it will be easy for Russia to annex East Finnmark in the event of an armed conflict between NATO and Russia.

– If Russia wants to split NATO countries, so today they can just stroll with his hands and his gun on his back into Kirkenes and declare: “Here we Oslo, what do you do with it?” says he said.

He suggests that the military moves part of 2nd Battalion or Panserbataljonen from Troms to Kirkenes.

– Would not it provokes Russians?

– It will be considered as an aggressive measures. In isolation it will be in conflict with Norwegian “lavspenningspolitikk” but this illustrates how the reduction of ground forces from Finnmark over time have reduced our freedom, justifying him.

Added in October

No one at Garrison of Sør-Varanger will comment on the matter to NRK.

Spokesperson Aleksander Jankov at hærstaben says professional military advised the Chief of Defence is presented on October 1. But document NRK sits on shows that the Army is headed back to Finnmark.

Hærstaben will not go with that Russian forces may take into Kirkenes unopposed so Børresen claim. There are several hundred soldiers in Sør-Varanger, but Jankov admits that these can only provide self-defense in a crisis.

– We have a permanent standing army there – Garrison of Sør-Varanger. They are an army which shall exercise the border, said Jankov.

– However, border guards capacity to resist a military threat?

– It depends on. Border guards today has the capacity to exercise self-defense, he said.

Jankov is not afraid that the Army buildup in Finnmark could affect relations with Russia.

– The Army modernization plan, as long as it clarifies a desire an unshakable self-defense, should not provoke other states. We need an army that is strong and that can operate throughout Norway – Finnmark is the part of it.

– Is Russia a military threat to Norway today?

– No, he said.