The Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310) arrived at Naval Station Norfolk to join Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8, Sep 5.

In August, the ship departed from their homeport of Bergen, Norway beginning their transit to North America ahead of operations with CSG-8.

The strike group, which includes the flagship, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), will continue to improve coalition integration and interoperability with the Nansen. The Nansen is a AEGIS fitted, multi-role frigate which makes integration with  U.S. Navy ships nearly seamless.

“North America has always been important for Norway, from the discovery of Vinland, the Norwegian exodus, until today's bilateral cooperation. Being the first Norwegian frigate to fully integrate and deploy with a U.S. carrier strike group marks another milestone and adds yet another strengthening bond in the American-Norwegian defense cooperation,” said Cmdr. Ruben Grepne-Takle, commanding officer of Fridtjof Nansen. “This is a highly prioritized mission for the Norwegian government and the Navy. My crew is trained, highly motivated and ready to commence the upcoming exercise in order to be fully integrated before we embark upon the deployment with our professional sisters and brothers of the U.S. Navy.”

In the coming months, the U.S. and Norwegian Navy’s will identify lessons learned that will improve future cooperation in any part of the world.

"Our relationship with our allies and partners is key to prevailing in the strategic competition we find ourselves in, ” said Rear Adm. Curt Renshaw, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8. “This opportunity to work with a highly capable partner like the Royal Norwegian Navy is priceless.  It will enable us to integrate our capabilities and refine the skills necessary to operate seamlessly with coalition partners. We value the tactical proficiency and knowledge the Norwegians bring and look forward to working with them closely as they become fully enmeshed in our strike group."

The Cooperative Deployment Program enhances the defense partnerships and capabilities between the United States and bilateral or multilateral partners. Previous U.S. cooperative deployments have included the Royal Australian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.

In 2018, Truman has also conducted training operations with the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311) and deployed with the Sachsen-class German frigate Hessen (F 221).

For more news from Truman and CSG-8: visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn75/ , www.facebook.com/ccsg8, https://www.c2f.usff.navy.mil/csg8/, www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy

For more news on Nansen:  visit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sjoforsvaret, https://twitter.com/Sjoforsvaret, and @royalnorwegiannavy on Instagram