KNL units operating the Starfighter;

331 Skvadron, Bodo 1963 to 1981
334 Skvadron, Rygge 1973 to 1983

The Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret (Royal Norwegian Air Force) was at first equipped with MAP-supplied Starfighters.

The KNL received the first of sixteen Lockheed-built F-104Gs, three Canadair-built F-104Gs, and two Lockheed-built TF-104Gs in 1963. The first 13 Lockheed-built F-104Gs were designated RF-104G, but all were equipped with the M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon. The engine was the J79-GE-11A. They were also fitted with AN/ARC-552 radio sets, AN/ARN-52 TACAN radio navigation equipment and F-15A-M-11 NASARR radar systems.
They all served with No. 331 Skvadron at Bodo.

The first 13 Lockheed build F-104G were delivered to Bodø by the USS Croatan via Bodø harbor on August 7. 1963 and were distend for 331 squadron which had taken there F-86 out of service in November 1962
Two Lockheed build TF-104G where airlifted to Norway. A further three Lockheed build planes where delivered by the USS Fiddler on October 26 1963.
The last three Starfighters to be delivered to 331 Squadron were built by Canadair in Montreal on American contracts as a part of the USAF Military Aid Program.
The first two were flown from Ålborg, Denmark to Bodø June 23 1965. And the last arrived the same way in February 1966 making the 331 squadron complete.

With the loss of one two-seater in 1970 there was a need for extra trainers, so two extra TF-104G in were bought in June 1975. These were second hand planes, used at the German training center in USA and they had substantial number of flying hours in their logbooks.

The first years 331 squadron operated solely as an air to ground unit. From August 1967 this role was changed to All weather Interceptor, and the event was marked with a 12-plane formation passing over the town. This was also the start of an era of countless interceptions of Soviet reconnaissance-planes patrolling along the Norwegian territory.

In 1973, a second KNL Starfighter unit, No. 334 Skvadron, was formed with eighteen ex-Canadian Forces CF-104s and four CF-104Ds.

334 squadron had been flying the Northrop F-5 since the summer of 1967 when the decision was made to convert to CF-104. The first plane, the two-seater 637 landed in Bodø in the spring of 1973.

In Canadian service the planes were configured in the "deep strike"-role. To extend the range, the gun was left out and an extra fuel tank installed. Scottish Aviation Ltd. was given a contract to modify the planes and the first was taken to GB in December 1974. Basically the modifications would bring the CF to a weaponry standard equal to the G-models. This meant reinstalling the 20 mm M-61 cannon. Later, ALR-46 radar warning receivers were fitted. The radar was upgraded in Norway to better cover air-to-air situations.
These aircraft were also modified to carry Martin Bullpup air-to-surface missiles and were employed in the anti shipping role.

The decision was taken to replace both F-104 and F-5 with the newer generation F-16. In January 1981 the first pilots were sent south to Rygge to start training on the new fighter. 331 squadron received their first F-16s in June the same year.

The Starfighters originally delivered via the MAP program were formally US property and being phased out of Norwegian service. They were delivered back to USAF where their destiny would be decided. During June and July 1981 there were many trips to Great Britain as the F-104Gs were ferried over. From there they became objects of a new military aid program, this time in for the Turkeys air force.

From 1981 the 334 squadron was the only one equipped with Starfighters in Norway.
Later this squadron too was to convert to F-16. As an honorable farewell to the Starfighters Norwegian service life, 334 managed to take a total of 18 planes to the air. They formed a grand formation and over flew the town
In January 1982, conversion to F-16 gathered momentum, and the Starfighters only received maintenance-flights to uphold the readiness. June 13. the same year, the first plane was phased out.

On April 22, 1983, Colonel Aamoth and General Schibbye took off on what was to be the final flight of a Norwegian Starfighter. By then the F-104 had been in Air force service for 20 years, and had been airborne for altogether over 100,000 hours.
One CF-104 and one TF-104G, both are on display at the Flysamlingen Gardermoen. From November the remaining Starfighters would be seen taking off for Sola where they were kept in storage to await further dispositions.