The Norwegian Civil Defence to Practice War Scenario in the North

The civil defence exercise Istind was first organized in Inner Troms, Northern Norway, in 2024.

This year's exercise takes place from the 18th to the 21st of May within the framework of the Norwegian Total Defence Year 2026, and has been expanded in scope and complexity.

While around 100 personnel from the Civil Defence participated in the 2024 edition, about 400 conscripts will practice this year.

"We will practice our role in events in the upper crisis spectrum and war," says Jørgen Mauno Johansen, head of Troms civil defence district, to High North News. 

"Protecting the civilian population in war has been the main task of the Civil Defence since its establishment in 1936. Over a longer period, we have primarily been a preparedness support resource in peacetime, such as during forest and industrial fires and major accidents."

"Now, with turbulent times of war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the need to practice our primary mission is emphasized. At the same time, it is important that this type of exercise also makes us better equipped to solve tasks in peacetime," he underscores.

Force relocation

The initial exercise phase involves important force relocation from south to north, specifically to Målselv municipality, Johansen explains.

"There is a strong focus on how we can strengthen Northern Norway in the Civil Defence's new mandate. We have made plans for troop movements northwards, and we will now test them in practice." 

More specifically, personnel will be moved from four civil defense districts in eastern, southern and western parts of Norway, as well as from southern parts of Northern Norway (Nordland and Midtre-Hålogaland.)

"While those in the North will drive their own vehicles, those from the South will come by civilian scheduled flights. During Istind 2024, people from the south were transported by the Norwegian Air Force with a Hercules plane. This time, the point is to use civilian transport."

"In addition, personnel from the Danish Emergency Management Agency are participating. They are driving all the way from Denmark to train with us and contribute with introductions in fields in which they have expertise. For example, they are very good at search and rescue in collapsed buildings."

Ruins and explosives

When they are in place in the training area, the forces will receive instruction and training in basic civil defence skills.

"We always practice tasks such as the establishment and operation of shelters, warning the civilian population and assisting with evacuation, search and rescue, as well as performing first aid and triage [sorting patients based on the need for medical assistance, ed. note]," says the head of the Troms civil defence district and continues:

"During this exercise, we will also work on what it means to solve these tasks in wartime. This means, for example, taking collapsed buildings and unexploded ordnance into account. We will not become experts in searching ruins and handling explosives, but we must know how to deal with this."

Put to the test

A central dimension of Istind is that forces in Brigade North will train simultaneously in the area, contributing to a more realistic framework for Istind.

Parts of the civil defence exercise will also take place at the Norwegian Armed Forces' shooting and training field Mauken.

"The civil defence forces will be tested on a large case at Mauken, where there is a so-called MIBO village. MIBO stands for ‘Military Operations in Urban Terrain’, and the ‘village’ consists of some brick houses and some streets," says Johansen.

"In the exercise scenario, the village has been hit by attacks and there are combat actions nearby, which the Army will help simulate. The task of the civil defence will be to organise the evacuation of around 200 markers to a reception centre established by Målselv municipality in a safe area."

 "In other words, we will move quite a few people in a challenging situation. This will require a lot from the participating civil defence personnel and close cooperation with Målselv municipality, which will have its emergency plan put to the test."

Contact surface between missions

"In this scenario, we will operate in the same context as the Armed Forces. We have different missions in a war situation and must consider one another when solving these," the district manager in Troms points out.

"The boundary between ongoing combat operations and our role in protecting civilians has been much discussed and tested in tabletop exercises, but now we will practice it physically with 'boots on the ground'."

For example, a question during the exercise will be whether the ongoing simulated military action must be paused to establish an evacuation corridor, explains Johansen.

"The Civil Defence and the Armed Forces will become better acquainted with each other's missions, opportunities, and limitations. This is a key point of the exercise."

The role of the civilian population

"The overarching goal with Istind is to be as well prepared as possible to protect the civilian population, and this will be the largest civil defence activity in the North this year as part of the Total Defence Year," says the head of the district.

"We also participated heavily in the health preparedness exercise during Cold Response 2026, which took place in Narvik, Tromsø, and Fjelldal [Northern Norway, ed. note]."

Exercise activities that test the interaction between civilian preparedness actors and the Armed Forces are an important part of the Total Defence Year, but the year is also about raising awareness among citizens, emphasises Johansen.

He encourages people both in the North and South to familiarize themselves with the total defence and their own role in it.

"We can best fulfil our mission if the civilian population knows how society and the various agencies function in a difficult situation, and are able to take care of themselves as well as possible."