Norwegian Airforce

Royal Norwegian Air Force Luftforsvaret
Royal Norwegian Air Force emblem
Founded	November 10, 1944; 72 years ago (1944-11-10)
Country	Norway
Size	3,650 (doesn't include Air Home Guard) 123 aircraft
Part of	Norwegian Armed Forces
Motto(s)	For King, People and Fatherland
Commanders
Commander in Chief	HM King Harald V
Chief Air Force	Major General Tonje Skinnarland (3 February 2016 – present)
Insignia
Roundel
Low Visibility Roundel
Aircraft flown
Attack	F-16
Electronic warfare	Dassault Falcon 20
Fighter	F-16
Helicopter	Westland Sea King, Bell 412, NHIndustries NH90
Patrol	Lockheed P-3 Orion
Trainer	Saab Safari
Transport	C-130

The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) (Norwegian: Luftforsvaret) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian armed forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 1,430 employees (officers, enlisted staff and civilians). 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF. After mobilization the RNoAF would consist of approximately 5,500 personnel.

The infrastructure of the RNoAF includes seven airbases (at Andøya, Bardufoss, Bodø, Gardermoen, Rygge, Sola and Ørland), two control and reporting centres (at Sørreisa and Mågerø) and two training centres at Persaunet in Trondheim and at KNM Harald Haarfagre/Madlaleiren in Stavanger.

Military flights started on 1 June 1912. The first plane, HNoMS Start, was bought with money donated by the public and piloted by Hans Dons, second in command of the submarine HNoMS Kobben (A-1). Up until 1940 most of the aircraft belonging to the Navy and Army air forces were domestic designs or built under license agreements, the main bomber/scout aircraft of the Army air force being the Dutch-origined Fokker C.V.

Before 1944 the Air Force were divided into the Norwegian Army Air Service (Hærens Flyvevaaben) and the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service (Marinens Flyvevaaben).