Remnants of Empire: Tracing Norway's F-35 Decision

Abstract

What is left of the ‘empire by invitation’? Coined by Geir Lundestad in 1986, the seemingly contradictory phrase has been used to explain the nature of American power in Western Europe and beyond. This article revisits the concept to shed light on Norway's 2008 decision to recapitalize its fighter jet fleet with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – an event of considerable political significance in the ongoing history of this complex, controversial, and geopolitically consequential weapons programme. Using multiple sources, including diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, the article traces how Americans and their local brokers intervened in the Norwegian policy process to ensure that the F-35s would go to the Royal Norwegian Air Force. In addition to suggesting that ‘empire by invitation’ remains a fact of international political life, the analysis also shows the importance of legitimation strategies in security policy. This especially applies to the study of international arms deals because interactions between and among politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats, and lobbyists always involve claims and counterclaims about legitimate national interest.