NATO Chief on Cold Response: Showcases Norway’s Key Role

"NATO will defend every inch of allied territory - regardless of the direction from which challenges may come.  Our armed forces are ready to operate in extreme conditions, and Cold Response 26 is taking that readiness even further."

The statement was made by NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte when he visited the Norwegian-led Cold Response exercise on Wednesday.

After being briefed about the exercise at Bardufoss Air Station in Inner Troms, Northern Norway, the NATO chief traveled to Setermoen, where he met the press together Norway's Minister of Defense, Tore O. Sandvik (Labor), and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide (Labor).

"A key player"

During a joint press conference, Rutte expressed how Norway is a key player when it comes to the security on NATO's northern flank. 

"You have developed specialised military capabilities tailored not just to cold weather operations, but to Arctic and also to sub-Arctic conditions. You provide NATO with a wide range of capabilities for Arctic operations, and you conduct vital supporting activities and exercises," he underscored.

"And over the last several days, indeed, Cold Response has once again demonstrated Norway's central role, with over 30,000 personnel here and in Finland from 14 Allied countries training as part of this exercise," he added.

"We have seen many examples today of our military readiness. How exercising and learning from one another builds bonds between allies and ensures the ability of NATO nations to operate effectively and to do this together."

Coordinated

One of the key points highlighted by both Rutte and Defense Minister Sandvik was Arctic Sentry, NATO's new enhanced Vigilance Activity in the Arctic and the High North. 

Arctic Sentry was launched in February, following the Davos meeting in January between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary Mark Rutte, and is set to enhance the alliance's presence in the Arctic region. 

In addition to the Danish-led Arctic Endurance exercise, Cold Response is among the first major activities to be coordinated under the Arctic Sentry, which is led by the Joint Force Command Norfolk in the US.

"In February 2026, NATO launched Arctic Sentry, a military activity that further strengthens the alliance's deterrence and defense across the region. The Cold Response exercise has shown the alliance's unity and deterrence in the High North," said Defense Minister Sandvik and added:

"The feedback from the soldiers we've met today illustrate the importance of conducting exercises in Arctic areas, and to provide relevant training for NATO forces in these demanding times for international security and peace."

Strengthening the alliance

"But it is not only during the exercise that we can learn from Norway's expertise," said NATO Chief Mark Rutte.

"You host the NATO Centre of Excellence for Cold Weather Operations, consistently sharing your knowledge on how to operate in extreme conditions."

NATO's Secretary General also highlighted the importance of NATO's newest Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Bodø, Northern Norway, and how the center enhances the alliance's shared security and NATO's ability to plan and coordinate air operations in the Nordic region, the Baltic and the Barents Seas, and in the North Atlantic.

Demanding security situation

The winter exercise Cold Response, which is coming to a close, takes place with an international backdrop characterized by major security policy tensions, change, and, not least, a Russia that continues its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

As HNN has reported, the overarching aim of the exercise is to contribute to deterrence, strengthen the Norwegian and allied defense capabilities, and reassure the population. The exercise is to showcase Norway's and NATO's ability to defend the alliance's northern flank.

"This is Arctic security. This is NATO at its best. 32,000 soldiers, 14 countries, who train together in an Arctic environment. Land, air, sea; combined operations showcasing our capacity to plan and conduct complex operations," said Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Labor).

"Norway has been eager to strengthen the Arctic outlook of NATO for a long time, and we are happy that is now happening," he underlined.

"We recognize that we are living in maybe the most dramatic security environment since World War 2. We have an ongoing war in Ukraine, we have increasing issues also elsewhere, and we have this heightened alert and awareness of what is going on in our immediate neighborhood, here," concluded Eide.