Les norsk originalversjon.

The winter exercise Joint Viking, held in Norway biennially, takes place from March 3rd to March 14th.

The main activity takes place in the counties Troms and northern Nordland, Northern Norway – especially on land, but also in the air and at sea.

In total, more than 10,000 soldiers are participating from nine countries: Norway, Finland, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and the US.

The exercise is led by the Norwegian Joint Headquarters (NJHQ) at Reitan outside of Bodø, Northern Norway.

"Bringing our allies together in arenas like this has become even more important in light of today's uncertain security situation," says Major General Gjert Lage Dyndal, Deputy Commander at the NJHQ, on Monday.

"Joint Viking is an important exercise for us and our allied participants' ability to work well together. Training together in all domains gives us good insight and experience in what works and where we need to develop further to strengthen the defense of Norway and NATO's interests in the north," continues Dyndal.

Strained overall context

The current uncertain security situation is particularly linked to the new Trump administration in the United States – namely its security policy statements and actions in relation to Russia and its warfare in Ukraine, as well as in relation to Kyiv, Greenland, Europe and Canada. New US domestic policy measures are also viewed with concern.

On Tuesday, Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine, Reuters informed. The Trump administration has also cut off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.

In Europe, significant questions around the alliance and shared values with the US are being discussed with more intensity. By extension, NATO as an organization is also a subject of discussion.

At the same time, Joint Viking is in many ways an illustration of what we have seen and known in Northern Norway for a long time, including during the first Trump Administration and not least in the last three years: American soldiers are in place to contribute in large-scale exercise on the defense of the region – together with other allied forces – within the overall framework of NATO.

More specifically, these are US Marines deployed from a base in the USA, and US Army soldiers deployed from an American base in Germany.

On Monday, soldiers in the US Army 41st Field Artillery Brigade established a tactical operations center for the Joint Viking exercise at Setermoen, inner Troms, Northern Norway. (Video: Chandler Coats/U.S. Army)

By the way: US forces have the right to unimpeded access to and use of a total of six military bases and facilities in Northern Norway, following the Norwegian parliament’s ratification of a bilateral Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA) in 2022 and an amendment agreement in 2024.

Examples of the most recent Norway-US agreed areas, with great relevance to Joint Viking, are Bardufoss air station and Setermoen garrison (incl. firing and exercise range) in inner Troms.

Part of the US 'Defender 2025'

From an American perspective, Joint Viking is part of Defender – the largest US Army exercise in Europe.

"Defender is focused on strategic deployment of continental, US-based forces, employment of US Army prepositioned stocks, and interoperability with Allies and partners at exercise locations across European countries. It seeks to deter adversaries, transform operational mission command, build readiness, and strengthen the NATO Alliance," writes the US Army Europe and Africa (USAFE).

American and other allied forces have also been present in Northern Norway for weeks to conduct cold-weather training before Joint Viking.

"They will be back almost annually to do so, and this training secures our allies' ability to support us when needed," says Dyndal at the NJHQ.

Interoperability with Finland

Central to this year's Joint Viking exercise is the emphasis on Norwegian-Finnish integration in the wake of Finland's NATO membership of April 2023, as well as increasingly closer Nordic defense cooperation, not least in the North.

On March 6th, Norwegian and Finnish forces will demonstrate their ability to cooperate on countering low-altitude air threats in Arctic conditions.

The focus will be on combining land maneuvers with air defense capabilities, ensuring that ground forces can operate effectively in environments with aerial threats, presumably from drones in particular.

These operations will take place at Setermoen, inner Troms. Specifically, the activity involves personnel from the Finnmark Land Command and a Finnish Short Range Air Defense Unit (SHORAD) within the framework of NATO.

The land command has Norway's northernmost county Finnmark, which borders Russia and Finland, as its area of responsibility.

"This cooperation reflects Finland's deeper integration into NATO's defense structures following its membership, as well as Norway’s commitment to strengthening allied defense capabilities in the High North region," states the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Norway must be prepared to take great responsibility for the defense of NATO’s new Northern flank, the Chief of the Norwegian Army pointed out last spring.

'A wake-up call'

"We live in a time when it is difficult to predict the situation on the surface, and the stakes appear high. There is talk about an awakening and a revival. This has been the case before," says Finland's Chief of Defense, General Janne Jaakkola.

He then looks back over 100 years in time, specifically in a speech to participants of a Finnish national defense course on Monday.

"At present, the pressure seems to be on transatlantic relations and the strengthening of European security and the defense in NATO and the European Union. We do not yet know what possible military impacts we will see. Until we know, it is good from a soldier's standpoint to continue the ongoing work. We should be working on national security all the time, on the front of the whole of society," continues Jaakkola.

He points out that the defense of Finland rests upon four pillars: strong national capabilities, the alliance's collective defense, deepened defense cooperation, and the principles of comprehensive security and national defense.

"In this new situation, it is clear that Europe must develop its own defense [capabilities, ed. note] more quickly as part of a collective defense. The basis of security and joint defense is always the development of the national defense. Much is expected from Finland now – just as from other European countries. Finland has a lot to bring to the shared tables. We build our security on our own strengths and we will remain relevant as allies and partners," states the Finnish chief of defense.

Significant British participation

The UK, which is considered Norway's closest and most important ally in Europe, is also a particularly important participant in Joint Viking.

"Nearly 2,000 personnel from across the UK Commando Force are operating in Northern Norway's harsh mountainous terrain during Winter Deployment 25, as they underscore the UK's commitment to the defense of the High North," stated the British Navy on January 31st and added:

"The Commandos [the Royal Marines, Commando Helicopter Force, and Army Commandos, ed. note] are currently building up to an exercise that will test allies’ collective ability to defend Norway from invasion. Exercise Joint Viking is about defending the strategically important region."

Camp Viking, located at the Norwegian camp Skjold in inner Troms, is the hub for British forces' winter training and exercise in Northern Norway.

During Joint Viking, the UK will participate with its Littoral Response Group (North), the British Navy announced in January. The group brings together amphibious ships, landing craft, helicopters, and troops under one force for raiding operations from the coast, it was informed.

This task group is set up to respond to crises and incidents on Europe’s strategic waterways and so-called chokepoints. It has a sister group with the same responsibility for the Mediterranean and regions east of the Suez Canal.

Civil-military coordination

Two total defense exercises in Northern Norway, both within the framework of Joint Viking, will follow on March 11th in Narvik (northern Nordland) and March 12th in Harstad (southern Troms).

Both involve Norway's Armed Forces (especially the Home Guard), police, Civil Defense, primary and specialist health services, fire and rescue services, and other municipal resources for crisis management.

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