25-5-2023 (OSLO) The city of Oslo witnessed the arrival of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier on Wednesday (May 24), the largest warship in the world. However, this stopover has faced criticism from neighboring Russia, which considers it an “illogical and harmful” display of force.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, measuring 337 meters in length and weighing over 100,000 tonnes, sailed into the Oslo Fjord under escort. It is scheduled to stay in Oslo for several days before proceeding to the Arctic, where military exercises will take place, according to Norwegian media reports.
In a statement, the Norwegian military expressed its view on the visit, stating, “The aircraft carrier’s visit and presence provide a unique opportunity to develop our cooperation and work closely together with our most important ally, the United States.”
The high-profile visit comes at a time of heightened tensions between the West and Russia due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Russian embassy strongly criticized the visit, stating that there are no military threats in the north that require a military solution or outside intervention.
Russian embassy spokesman Timur Chekanov, in an email to AFP, remarked, “Considering that Oslo admits that Russia poses no direct military threat to Norway, such shows of force seem illogical and harmful.”
As a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Norway shares both a land border with Russia in the far north and a maritime border in the Barents Sea.
The USS Gerald R Ford, with its capacity to carry up to 90 aircraft and helicopters, is expected to remain docked in the Norwegian capital for several days. A large airspace and sea exclusion zone has been established around the vessel for security reasons.
According to the online daily Barents Observer, the ship is scheduled to head to the Arctic in a few days, just before the start of the Arctic Challenge Exercise on May 29. This exercise will bring together 150 aircraft from 14 Western countries.
