Bodø Main Air Station

Bodø Main Air Station is a Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) facility located in Bodø, Nordland county. Allied forces established the first airfield at Hernes in May 1940 during the Norwegian Campaign, constructing a wooden airstrip. Following German occupation in June 1940, the Luftwaffe expanded the site, completing a 1,200-meter runway and associated infrastructure by 1941. The RNoAF assumed control of the station in 1945.

In 1950, the facility underwent modernization to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standards. The Norwegian Parliament designated Bodø as the main air station for Northern Norway in 1952, and the Air Force Command for Northern Norway transitioned to the base the following year. Fighter squadrons have been stationed at the base since 1955. Historical aircraft operated from the station include the F-84 Thunderjet, F-86 Sabre, F-104 and CF-104 Starfighter, F-5 Freedom Fighter, and F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 1974, Bodø was designated a Co-located Operating Base (COB) for the United States Air Force, resulting in the permanent storage of ammunition, parts, and equipment.

The current mission of the station focuses on search and rescue (SAR) and air ambulance services. The RNoAF 330 Squadron maintains a detachment at the base, operating AgustaWestland AW101 SAR Queen helicopters. These operations are managed by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway and the Nordland Hospital Trust. Until 2022, the base hosted NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission.

The infrastructure includes 43 underground hangars constructed between 1973 and 1993 to protect aircraft. Air defense capabilities have historically included M24 Chaffee tanks, I-Hawk batteries, and the Norwegian Adapted Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). The military sector is located south of the runway, which is shared with the civilian Bodø Airport. The base also hosts the Norwegian Aviation Museum and the Bodø Air Traffic Control Center.