The F-35 continues its constant patrol in 2023 with the one-year anniversary of the Norwegian’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission being taken over by the F-35.  

On January 6, 2022, the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s F-35s officially took over the surveillance and ended their F-16 fleet’s 42 year-long mission serving Norway and NATO. In the past decades, Norway's F-16 fleet carried out the QRA mission from Bodø Air Base in northern Norway. Now, the F-35s operate this mission from Evenes Air Base in Norway.  

Norway conducts the QRA mission on behalf of NATO. This means that Norway continuously always has two fighter jets at the ready. If unknown aircraft come close to Norwegian – and NATO – airspace, the F-35s are scrambled and airborne within 15 minutes. Then they find, observe and document the unknown aircraft or threat.