News: NATO began its biennial Arctic military exercise Cold Response on March 9 amid tensions related to U.S. President Trump’s push to take over Greenland.
About Exercise Cold Response
- Exercise Cold Response is a large-scale biennial NATO military exercise conducted in the European Arctic to test the alliance’s defence capability in extreme Arctic conditions.
- Organized by: The exercise is organized by Norway under the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
- Exercise Location: The drills are conducted mainly across northern Norway and Finland in the European Arctic region.
- Objective: The exercise aims to strengthen NATO’s collective defence capability, improve interoperability among allied forces, and demonstrate deterrence near Arctic borders.
- Frequency: The exercise is conducted every two years (biennially).
- Participants: Around 25,000 troops from about 14 NATO and partner countries, including the United States and Denmark, participate in the exercise.
- The exercise has become part of Arctic Sentry – the NATO mission to strengthen its presence in the polar region.
- Key features
- Arctic Defence Exercise: The drills focus on defending NATO in the European Arctic, particularly in areas where Norway and Finland share borders with Russia.
- Civilian Support to Military: The exercise places strong emphasis on the role of civilians, businesses, and public institutions in supporting military operations during war or crises.
- Medical Preparedness Scenario: The military will test the capacity of hospitals in northern Norway to treat a large number of casualties arriving from a simulated frontline in Finland.
- Significance: The exercise strengthens NATO’s defence preparedness and presence in the Arctic region near the Russia–Finland border.
