Norway — the Not So Reluctant Ally

Abstract

The article examines the Norwegian policies of peacetime arms restraint, in particular base policy and nuclear policy. Officially, these policies are presented as unilateral arms control measures. Two alternative interpretations are emphasized by the present authors. First, the base and nuclear policies are the result of political compromises at the domestic level. Second, they are largely based on military convenience. A few issues from the field of nuclear weapons are examined in depth, notably: (1) nuclear weapons in transit in Norwegian harbours, and (2) military navigation and communi cation stations on Norwegian soil.