Gearing up for Showdown? Norway tests Military Limits in Arctic
Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica sails through sea ice floating on the Victoria Strait along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. File photo.
The Arctic is attracting unprecedented global interest, taking existing geostrategic and military competition to new levels. Under the cover of “defense readiness,” the West is steadily turning the Arctic into its next military playground. 13 Norwegian soldiers, members of a Norwegian military intelligence regiment, are now enduring -37°C in 100-day survival missions.The goal is to test gear, tech, and the soldiers’ own physical resilience for future conflict in freezing conditions. Struggling with frozen skis, glitchy GPS, and battling hypothermia and frostbite, the prep for new battlegrounds comes as the West cranks the ‘Russia threat’ narrative into overdrive.Norway‘s Arctic strategy prioritizes its role as a NATO forward base for potential ops against Russia, built on regular bloc ground, air and naval drills.AnalysisStruggle For the Arctic: What Are the Major Regional Powers’ Strategies and Military Capabilities?8 March, 19:03 GMT