The military exercise Joint Viking kicked off on Monday. 20,000 Norwegian and allied soldiers from seven NATO countries are participating in the exercise in the north. The exercise lasts for ten days. The war in Ukraine and a tense European security situation make the NATO exercise more important than ever. – NATO is involved in an operation to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading. We must take care of our own safety. Then we have to train with our allies in wintry conditions, says Lieutenant General Yngve Odlo. He is the head of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters (FOH) and exercise Joint Viking. Lieutenant General Yngve Odlo, commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters and exercise Joint Viking. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund / news Marked by the war in Ukraine Odlo says it is important for Norway, and especially in the north, to adapt to the situation. – Then it becomes important for us to practice together. It is only together that we safeguard Norwegian security. He does not want to say that they are practicing to show their muscles against Russia. – I think the most important thing we in NATO do is to show our ability to handle this climate. And the will to defend our sovereign rights, says Odlo. Facts about Joint Viking 2023 A Norwegian military exercise in which the Norwegian Armed Forces have invited forces from NATO and partner countries to participate. Joint Viking is closely connected to the British naval exercise Joint Warrior and the home defense exercise Jøssing in Agder and Rogaland The field exercise takes place from 6 to 16 March 2023, but there will be military activity in the area for several weeks before and after this. Takes place mainly in inner Troms. There will be a lot of activity in the area of Bjerkvik and north to Setermoen, Bardufoss and Nordkjosbotn. In addition, there will be some practice activities at sea and in the air. Who: Over 20,000 soldiers from eight countries are taking part. Most come from Norway, otherwise forces from Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden and the USA participate. Fact: The armed forces of Sweden and Finland are among the countries participating. The Joint Viking commander believes that the neighboring countries’ application for membership in NATO says something about the uncertainty that characterizes Europe. – We are on our way into a new era, where the security architecture will be permanently changed. The aim of the exercise In parallel with the Joint Viking land exercise, the Joint Warrior exercise is taking place. The latter is a British-led exercise where air defense and navy practice in teams. This year, that exercise has been added to the coast of Trøndelag and Northern Norway. Thus, the two exercises are synchronized. Which means that all defense branches train together. Soldiers from Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden, and the United States are in the north. As before, the soldiers are training to operate in arctic climates. They practice defending the land in snow, rain, wind and cold. The aim of Joint Viking is to increase NATO’s ability to operate in a wintry, arctic climate. – The war in Ukraine has shown us that good preparedness is not something you can take for granted. It must be maintained, he says. Winter training for US Marines Among the participants are several hundred soldiers from the US Army. Press officer Kevaughn Burnley says the exercise is important for them to build relationships with their NATO allies. – It is important for us to always be ready for battle. We become that by training in different climatic environments. We traditionally train in more tropical surroundings. We become more versatile by training in Norway. Press Officer Kevaughn Burney of the US Marines. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund / news He himself is from the southern state of Georgia. And he is aware that the US Marines are tired of training in the Arctic classroom that Joint Viking provides. – We are becoming more competent to fight the enemy regardless of time and place, he says. For the Norwegian Armed Forces, the best way to prepare is to train for the worst. – We practice and train as realistically as possible. – Hope people are patient During Joint Viking, i.e. from 6th to 17th March, restrictions have been introduced on civil large-scale civil flights and drone flights in large parts of Northern Norway. The land exercises are taking place from Bjerkvik in Narvik municipality in the south to Nordkjosbotn in Balsfjord municipality in the north. The training activity will be particularly visible along the axis Bjerkvik–Setermoen–Bardufoss–Nordkjosbotn. – There will be traffic on that axis. We hope that people are patient and careful around military activity, says Jonny Karlsen, spokesperson for FOH. Lars Petter Kolle is chief planner for Joint Viking. Photo: Kari Anne Skoglund / news – At the same time, we hope everyone understands that Norway needs to train together with our allies to defend the country. Especially considering the situation in Europe, says Karlsen.
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20,000 Norwegian and allied soldiers train together in the north – news Troms and Finnmark
