General Alf Granviken

Lieutenant General Alf Granviken was born in 1932. After completing his Matriculation Degree he joined the Royal Norwegian Air Force. He had his pilot training with the USAF and graduated at Craig AFB in Class 52-H, followed by Combat Crew Training Course at Luke AFB. The Air Force Academy was completed in 1956. He attended the Royal Air Force Staff College in UK in 1964 and the National Defence College in 1976-1977.

The General has accumulated about 4000 hours --mainly in fighter type aircraft ranging from P-51 Mustang to the F-104 Starfighter. In the period of 1961-1963 he served as the Commander of the RNOAF Fighter Weapons School. He was appointed Squadron Commander of the first Norwegian F-5 squadron in 1956 before joining the RNOAF Staff College as an instructor in 1968. From 1971 to 1974 he was commanding the operations Group at Bodø Main Air Station.

He then joined the IGRNOAF staff being responsible for Operational Requirements Fighter Operations. In that period he was mainly occupied with the F-16 project, serving as one of the operational advisers to the Multinational Steering Committee. After the National Defence College in 1977 he was promoted to Brigader General and appointed as Station Commander at Sola Main Air Station. Prior to the introduction of the F-16 into the RNOAF at Rygge, he was taking command of Rygge Main Air Station in 1979.

Two years later he was promoted to Major General and appointed as Commander Allied Air Force North Norway. In 1984 he took up position as Chief of the Defence Staff (Deputy Chief of Defence Staff) with the rank of Lt. General. The General retired in 1991 after serving as the Norwegian Representative to the NATO Military Committee in Brussels for three years.

In addition to being involved in various projects after being retired has been in an advisory position at the Defence Research Establishment and other similar civilian institutions - mainly dealing with projects concerning security issues and international crisis management.

Being fond of outdoor life his main time interest are in trout fishing and boating in the summer and skiing in the winter time. Lt General Alf Granviken and Mrs. Annelise Granviken have two sons and one daughter in addition to seven grandchildren.