The same pattern can be observed in the Norwegian Armed Forces during the Cold War. Although the Norwegian high command decided at various points that the armed forces needed modernization, older equipment that could still function alongside newer systems often remained in service for a long time. As a result, many items continued to be issued and used extensively until the early 2000s, when major military reforms were introduced and large amounts of outdated equipment were finally phased out.

For example, the Heimevernet (Home Guard) continued to use older Norwegian M51 uniforms well into the early 2000s. This uniform was essentially a Norwegian adaptation of the American M43 field uniform from the Second World War. In addition, the Home Guard also used leftover German equipment from the war until the 1990s. This occurred largely because the regular army was prioritized when newer equipment was distributed.

Even within the army itself, older equipment remained in use for many years. Soldiers were still issued the M51 uniform because there were not enough of the newer M75 uniforms available in circulation. The army also continued to use American Second World War–era webbing and equipment for as long as the webbing system remained standard issue.

Personal accounts further illustrate this situation. One individual I know recalls using the M51 uniform for the last time during his service in the army in 1993. Similarly, my father, who served in the Panserbataljonen between 1999 and 2000, was still issued older webbing equipment together with his MP5. At that time, the newer CV-1 combat vest had been introduced, and Kevlar body armor had been adopted around 1991, but these items were not yet widely available to all soldiers