The Joint Viking-25 exercises, commencing today and running until March 14, involve significant military maneuvers in Northern Norway, focusing on the collaboration between military and civilian entities. Five units from Norway’s Home Guard, including operational groups from Nord-Hålogaland and Oppland, will participate, with the latter group being repositioned northward to counter perceived aggression from the East. Allied forces from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Finland, and the USA will also take part, with a key scenario centered on the deployment of troops on Senja Island. A tactical drone attack on critical infrastructure in Narvik is scheduled for March 11, alongside a simulated chemical and biological weapons response in Harstad on March 12, supported by local authorities and emergency services. The exercises will disrupt significant transport routes, including a 150 km stretch of the E6 highway. Additionally, a test of the Scandinavian air defense system will take place, integrating Finnish missile systems with Norway’s NATO defense capabilities. The recent defense agreement between Norway and the UK emphasizes joint expeditionary efforts, underlining growing British military presence in the Arctic, which poses strategic implications for Russia and expands NATO’s operational reach in the region. This heightened collaboration illustrates a tactical shift in Northern Europe, as allied forces adapt to evolving regional security challenges.
