A major priority in the face of a security situation: Norway, bordering Russia and a member of NATO, will spend an additional 10 billion euros on defense by 2035

The Norwegian government has announced the addition of an extra 10 billion euros to the annual defense budget by 2035, citing a security situation that has become “even more serious and unpredictable.”

Norway, a member of NATO and a neighbor of Russia, will spend an additional 115 billion crowns (over 10 billion euros) on defense over the next decade, citing a deteriorating security situation, the government announced on Friday.

The Norwegian defense budget will increase from 112 billion crowns today to over 190 billion (17 billion euros) in 2035, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said at a press conference – nearly tripling the amount compared to before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. With this increase, Norway will be on track to reach the 3.5% of GDP defense spending target recommended by NATO, according to the Prime Minister.

“Strengthening Norwegian defense capabilities is a top priority in the face of a security situation that has become even more serious and unpredictable,” Jonas Gahr Store said.

Since 2021, Oslo has been increasing its defense spending each year. Among the priorities are the acquisition of new submarines and frigates, as well as the modernization of critical defense infrastructure. Norway’s electronic warfare capabilities, autonomous systems, and short-range air defense will also be strengthened, according to the government.

Jonas Gahr Store noted that “defense equipment has become more expensive.” “More and more countries are acquiring them, and delivery times in certain critical areas are getting longer, which means we need to smartly consider how to gradually integrate these capabilities into the plan,” he observed. Norway and Russia share a 198-kilometer land border in the Far North, as well as a maritime border in the Barents Sea.