Norway could afford gradual improvements to armed neutrality

Norway had natural resources, a functioning economy, and a merchant marine that gave it the means to invest in armed neutrality. Surplus purchases after the First World War offered one opportunity; renovating a different fortress every few years offered another. Better low-light sights, ranging equipment, and protected gun positions could improve the existing installations. The age of Oscarsborg's weapons did not make them useless: the guns and torpedoes worked, and the short engagement ranges inside the fjord weakened the case for needing larger guns. Leaving these primary defences visibly unchanged nevertheless made Norway appear less prepared to defend itself.