Hundreds of Norwegians sue government over F-35 noise

The F-35 has a more powerful engine than previous fighter jets used by the Norwegian Air Force, which results in significantly louder noise.

Sputnik reported that people living near the military base in Orlandet, Trondelag county, think the noise emitted by the new Norwegian F-35 fighter jets is so loud that the state needs to compensate them.

“We will sue and claim compensation under the Neighborhood Act,” attorney Arild Paulsen told national broadcaster NRK.

Calculations show that the amount of noise above 60dB has now tripled compared to 2010 before the F-35 deal was signed, while the amount of noise above the 67dB threshold has quadrupled.

There is a precedent for people to claim compensation for aircraft noise. In 2006, residents around the airport of the Oslo region were ordered by the Supreme Court to pay an average of 23,000 – 35,000 USD per household.

So far, Norway has received 24 F-35 fighter jets. Another 10 are being used to train pilots in the US. In total, Norway will buy 52 F-35 fighter jets, making it the largest military purchase in the country’s history.

A similar noise problem arose in the Nordic country, Denmark, which purchased 27 F-35s.