NATO's largest Arctic maneuvers have begun

NATO military maneuvers codenamed “Cold Response 2026” began on Monday in northern Norway. Almost 30,000 people take part in them. soldiers from 14 Alliance countries. Due to the war with Iran, the United States reduced its contingent. The exercises will last until March 19.

Troops from Norway, the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Finland take part in the maneuvers. They involve land units, air forces and warships. Total involved dozens of planes, helicopters and ships and thousands of military vehicles.

The main part of the exercises takes place in the Troms region with a base in the Bardufoss garrison. Activities will also be carried out in the northern part of Nordland, in the Barents Sea and in the Norwegian windspace.

For the first time since Finland joined the Alliance in 2023, some of the maneuvers will be carried out on its territory. About 7,500 people will train at the Rovajarvi training ground in the Sapmi region. soldiers. Rovajarvi is the largest training ground in Northern Europe, including long-range firing ranges.

“The extension of the exercises to Finland is related to its accession to NATO in 2023 and the integration of military operations on the northern flank of the Alliance,” said Lieutenant Colonel Bjoernar Aas, chief planner of the “Cold Response 2026” exercises from the Operational Command of the Norwegian Armed Forces, in a statement.

#ColdResponse26 ❄️ The exercise has begun!

🔹25,000 soldiers
🔹14 nations
🔹Shoulder to shoulder

Training across land, air and sea in the High North 🤝

Stay tuned for updates during the exercise 💥#ArcticSentry #ShoulderToShoulder #WeAreNATO@Forsvaret_no @Forsvarsmakten… pic.twitter.com/0k9lMNBpl8

— NATO Allied Joint Force Command Norfolk – JFCNF (@JFCNorfolk) March 9, 2026

The exercises will include training in operations in Arctic conditions, cooperation between land forces, air forces and navies, as well as the transfer and reception of allied troops in Norway. One of the elements will also be a simulation of the transport of wounded soldiers from Sweden to the hospital in Narvik in cooperation with the civil services as part of the so-called total defense.

The United States originally planned to send about 4,000 for the exercises. soldiers. However, some of these forces have been withdrawn in recent weeks due to the war with Iran.

“Due to the tense situation in the Middle East, the planned contingent of American F-35 aircraft will not take part in the exercises,” AAS announced.

From Oslo Mieszko Marek Czarnecki (PAP)

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