This article argues that the development in formulating Norwegian security policy has overrun the development of Norwegian defence structures. These have been exposed to a bare minimum of adjustments following the Cold War, while the formulation of security policy has leaped ahead in four steps. First came three, which cannot be separated in a timely dimension, although they are distinct with respect to quality. The first step came with the increased focus on peace enforcement at the beginning of the last decade. The second step came with the establishment of reaction forces according to Nato's strategic concept from 1991. The third step was completed with Nato taking on a role out of area, dependent on the UN for authorisation. The fourth step was a consequence of the war over Kosovo at the end of the decade when the Nato members also released themselves from the Security Council in the question of mandate. Following the developments in international relations Norwegian authorities reformulated national security policy accordingly. Increased focus on international military operations combined with decreased dependence on the UN has thus been the main tendencies in the evolution of Norwegian security policy. Many will argue that these changes to a greater extent also need to be reflected in national defence structures.
