The world’s largest warship on its way into the Oslofjord – NRK Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country

The 333 meter long and 76 meter high warship moves at a speed of 11.5 knots and is just before 8 outside Moss, the map for MarineTraffic shows.

The ship, which will be powered by two nuclear reactors, will dock deep in the Oslofjord, but not quite next to the quay. It will be in Oslo for four days.

– It is huge

Teacher Geir Fjørtoft Karlsen is up early and brought the seal with him. He saw the ship from Store Færder outside Tjøme.

– It’s huge! It came pretty close. There are many escort boats, and private boats have also started to arrive, he says.

Færder lies far out in the Oslofjord. Fjørtoft Karlsen helps run the bird station here.

– There was a good atmosphere when the ship appeared. I had some pictures taken, he says.

Mads Tønnesen is one of the many who have followed the sealing in the morning hours. He has had an “orchestra seat” in the living room.

– I first saw something very out on the horizon, and then followed the ship around the east side of Tjøme. Now the ship lies a couple of hundred meters outside Ringshaugstranda with the bridge side towards me. I sit and watch it from the living room, he tells NRK.

– It has been fun to follow along. It is very special, it is something that you may not get to experience again. It is powerful to see something so big out on the fjord here, he adds.

The world’s largest

“USS Gerald R. Ford” is the largest warship ever built.

In addition to a crew of 4,500, the ship accommodates 90 aircraft and helicopters.

The ship is on its first operational voyage ever, and Oslo will be the first port to be visited.

– The aircraft carrier group’s visit and presence gives the Norwegian Armed Forces a unique opportunity to further develop cooperation and work more closely together with our most important ally, the United States, says the Norwegian Armed Forces.

They also say that several exercises are planned with, among others, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Armed Forces’ special forces.

First time since 1959

The first time an American aircraft carrier visited Norway was in 1959, Admiral Greg Huffman told NRK earlier this week. He is commander of the group of which “USS Gerald R. Ford” is a part.

Fair enough, “USS Saipan” was in Oslo in 2005, but even if it has aircraft on board, it is not counted as an aircraft carrier.

In connection with the visit, a number of prohibitions have been put in place in the entire inner Oslofjord.

The Russian Embassy: – Demonstration of power

On Tuesday, the Russian embassy in Oslo came out and described the planned visit as a harmful demonstration of power.

– There are no issues in the north that require a military solution, nor topics that require outside intervention, writes Timur Chekanov at the Russian Embassy in an e-mail to NTB.

– Considering that they admit in Oslo that Russia poses no direct military threat to Norway, we see such demonstrations of power as illogical and harmful, Chekanov says to the news agency.