The Norwegian parliament unanimously approved the funding of four F-35A Lightning II fighters on 21 June 2011. These F-35s, which will be delivered to the US-based international training center at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 2016, will be used for initial Royal Norwegian Air Force pilot training. Norway plans to acquire forty-eight of the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Lightning II to replace its current F-16 fleet by 2023. Norway is one of the nine partner countries involved in the F-35 program.
