Alliance in Action: Royal Norwegian Air Force, US Air Force Collaborate to Advance Command and Control

Published Jan. 22, 2026
By Deb Henley, 505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs
505th Command and Control Wing

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. --

A Royal Norwegian Air Force delegation visited the 505th Command and Control Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the Shadow Operations Center-Nellis, Nev., last month to deepen collaboration and share critical insights on operational-level command and control.

“Our ability to deter aggression hinges on our adversaries seeing a seamless, integrated coalition force. C2 is the thread that ties that force together. Engagements like this with our Norwegian partners are about more than just sharing information; they are about aligning our operational processes so that our C2 becomes a shared weapon."

U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Hayde, 505th Command and Control Wing commander

The visit underscores a shared commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Norwegian defense relationship, enhancing operational readiness, and ensuring seamless interoperability between NATO allies.

“For our partnership, C2 is a domain where the sharing of information makes us better as a service and lends to the overall deterrence of our adversaries,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Nelson, 705th Training Squadron commander. “There are lessons learned from the Norwegian Air Operations Center side that we can incorporate, and the opposite is true from us to them. When we do this, our allies become better, and we become better.”

A key focus for the Norwegian delegation was observing how the U.S. Air Force builds and sustains its C2 enterprise. They identified the American model as a solution to a common challenge: balancing the need for high-quality training with the demands of daily operations.

photo US Air Force Airmen and Royal Norwegian Air Force members standing and talking — Royal Norwegian Air Force, US Air Force Collaborate to Advance Command and Control

U.S. Air Force Col. Frank Azaravich, 505th Command and Control Wing deputy commander, left, welcomes members of the Royal Norwegian Air Force during a visit to the 505th CCW at Hurlburt Field, Florida, Dec. 17, 2025. Engagements like these enable allies to model their processes after U.S. command and control execution, strengthening NATO’s contingency responses within the European theater. (U.S. Air Force photo by Shelton Keel)

“A particularly important takeaway was recognizing how to solve the structural tension between our training requirements and ongoing operational output,” said RNoAF Lt. Col. Carl Waldemar Wilhelmsen, Combined Air Operations Centre Bodo, Combat Operations Division deputy. “The U.S. Air Force uses a tightly integrated model where training, evaluation, and operational execution mutually reinforce each other. The overarching lesson is the importance of consistency and structure in how C2 competence is built over time.”

Another critical insight for the delegation was the U.S. Air Force’s deliberately structured training framework, which progresses from foundational skills to advanced, mission-focused scenarios. This systematic approach allows personnel and teams to develop progressively, ensuring that high-end exercises are used to refine advanced warfighting concepts, not to teach basics.

The delegation’s deep dive into the ShOC-N’s experimentation efforts highlighted how to link innovation directly to operational needs. The RNoAF expressed significant interest in areas like artificial intelligence-enabled decision support and how experimentation can validate new concepts within realistic C2 constructs.

“Innovation accelerates when great minds collaborate,” explained U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Shawn Finney, 805th Combat Training Squadron commander. “The RNoAF’s visit gave us a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas on the future of command and control. Learning about their unique operational challenges helps us refine our experimentation, while sharing our insights into areas like AI and live, virtual, and constructive integration helps them modernize their C2 forces. This partnership is how we stay ahead of emerging threats together.”

Discussions also centered on future collaboration in large-scale virtual exercises, which are essential for refining C2 processes at a scale that cannot be replicated in live-only events.

“The future of global security rests on the strength of our alliances. This visit displayed the 505th Combat Training Squadron’s steadfast goal of increasing Royal Norwegian Air Force and NATO integration into our most critical operational-level exercises,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Guest, 505th CTS commander.

For the RNoAF, participation in U.S.-led exercises like Bamboo Eagle and Virtual Flag: Coalition, as well as in formal courses, is seen as a direct path to greater interoperability and strengthening operational alignment between air forces while also providing important feedback to their own national training and development efforts.

“For too long, Air C2 has primarily been treated as a training aid for tactical units, rather than as a training audience in its own right,” explained Wilhelmsen. “Close cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, allowing our officers and non-commissioned officers to participate in exercises and courses, can rapidly support a shift in our approach.”

The immediate next steps for the RNoAF are to incorporate these insights into their own education, training design, and exercise planning. The visit has laid the groundwork for a deeper, more integrated partnership, ensuring both air forces are ready to meet the challenges of an evolving security environment.

"Our ability to deter aggression hinges on our adversaries seeing a seamless, integrated coalition force. C2 is the thread that ties that force together. Engagements like this with our Norwegian partners are about more than just sharing information; they are about aligning our operational processes so that our C2 becomes a shared weapon,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Hayde, 505th CCW commander. “This empowers our European allies to lead from the front, creating a stronger, more resilient NATO ready to defend against any common threat."