The 48 American F-35 fighter-bombers Norway intends to buy from Lockheed Martin for 42 billion kroner lack key software that ensures radio communications in Arctic northern Norway, according to newspaper Aftenposten.
Without the digital radio equipment, pilots would have to communicate by satellite due to the Arctic’s strong magnetic fields, the paper reports.
The Norwegian government in 2008 decided to replace its F-16 fighter bombers with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Norway will in all buy 52 planes, including four trainers.
In 2016, the new planes will arrive without satellite communications, the newspaper writes, quoting sources close to the Norwegian fighter purchase programme.
A malfunction on Monday caused a propeller aircraft to land at Stavanger Airport in Norway without its landing gear.
The cause of the emergency landing is currently unclear, reports broadcaster NRK. The flight control tower was not informed of a problem with the aircraft prior to its landing, according to the report.
The airplane, a Beech King Air B200, came in to land at Stavanger’s airport at 10am on Monday.
“It came in from the north and landed on the runway. The undercarriage malfunctioned, and the aircraft is now on the runway,” Stavanger Airport director Leif Lorentzen told NRK.
On board the two-engined aircraft, which I owned by Air Wing, was a two-man crew.
“They say they did not know the landing gear wasn’t down when they landed. Although the belly landing happened suddenly, they are okay. Nobody is hurt,” Air Wing’s commercial director Jarle Granheim told NRK.
The aircraft is reported to have been delivering supplies for scanning equipment at Stavanger University Hospital.
The supplies, which included radioactive isotopes, were not damaged, NRK reports.
International rules for transport of such material ensure that containers can withstand considerable damage.
Fire services and police were both despatched to the airport following the incident.
“It is very rare that something like this happened. Fortunately it has not resulted in anything more than material damage,” Lorentzen said.
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