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335 Squadron / 335 Skvadron

335 Squadron operates the Air Force's workhorse - transport plane C-130 Hercules. The department addresses the missions all over the world - from Bardufoss to Jan Mayen, South Pole and Iraq. The squadron is located at Gardermoen Air Station, but the Parliament has decided that Hercules aircraft be moved to Rygge. However, it is not finally determined when this will happen.

The history of 335 Squadron began in 1941 when the Air Force created the famous "Stockholm route" between Britain and Sweden. This marked the start of that today know as the airlift in the Air Force. After the war was still the need for a department with a large transport aircraft, and the 15th August 1946 335 Squadron was established at the airport with Lodestar aircraft and C-47 Dakota. In the aftermath of the war was skavdronen intent with a number of transport aircraft;

• Lodestar (1946 - 1950)
• C-47A Dakota was phased out (1946 - 1973)
• C-119G Fairchild "Flying Boxcar" (1956 -1969)
• DA-20 Falcon Jet (1972 - 1994)
• Lockheed C-130H Hercules (from 1969)

Since 1969, 335 Squadron personnel operating the Armed Forces C-130 Hercules with great success. The aircraft was quickly adopted the troop movement between the south and north as one of the main tasks. Fully intended to move the squadron up to 2000 soldiers a day. Today the main task to provide transportation support for special forces and Norwegian branches abroad, ambulance and medical evacuation missions. The missions are carried out under all circumstances and under all skies. During these years there have been no major accidents involving aircraft.

Besides being a combat ready military unit specializing in tactical airlift squadron often provide 335 support to civil society, including in connection with natural disasters. During the earthquake disaster in Iran in 2003 the 335 squadron was in place, and after the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004, the Hercules aircraft were stationed in Indonesia and participated in the airlift that flew in equipment and relief to the victims in Banda Aceh province.

The C-130 is well suited to fly personnel and equipment to countries with primitive landing, and operations from temporary airstrips in war. C-130 is equipped with high mounted engines and wide tires with relatively low air pressure to operate the courts with gravel, grass cover. The engines will make it possible to back the plane, and this comes in handy during operations from primitive airfields with no support.