NATO
Defense in the far north: Bundeswehr in exercise “Nordic Response 2024”
Swedish soldiers on a tank take part in a joint exercise with Finnish fighter units. photo
© Anders Wiklund/TT/TT News Agency/AP/dpa
NATO is increasingly practicing defense against an attacker like Russia. North of the Arctic Circle, 700 German mountain troops have been in the simulated counter-offensive since midnight.
According to Norwegian military information, around 20,000 soldiers from 13 allied nations are taking part in the maneuver. These include Finland and Sweden, which decided to join the alliance after the Russian attack on Ukraine. The NATO states deploy a wide range of weapon systems, including 100 aircraft as well as naval forces with frigates and submarines.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) also traveled to Alta to start the active part of the maneuver. The day before, he had visited a Norwegian military station on the border with Russia and offered increased commitment by the Bundeswehr in the far north, even if the world is currently focusing primarily on Ukraine and the Middle East.
“Things come together in the Arctic”
“It’s actually clear that here in the Arctic, in the Norwegian Sea, the threads – if you will – come together,” said Pistorius at this Norwegian border station in Pasvik. A significant part of Russia’s military power is concentrated in the north. Pistorius said: “The traffic goes through here, the submarines cross here. A lot of things come together here that we in Central Europe only notice a little about.”
Norway borders Russia for 198 kilometers in the far north. From Pasvik, the next large city on the Russian side is Murmansk, which, with its surrounding area on the Barents Sea, is home to the Northern Fleet, which is strategically important for Russia. This includes nuclear submarines of the Russian armed forces.
NATO responds with a series of exercises
Germany sent soldiers from the 233 Mountain Infantry Battalion from Mittenwald, Bavaria, to the Arctic Circle for the “Nordic Response 2024” exercise. As part of the Rapid Forces Division, they quickly make an impact with capabilities for national and alliance defense. With this exercise, the German Army wants to gain further practical experience under Arctic climatic conditions.
NATO is reacting to the new security policy situation with a whole series of exercises called Steadfast Defender. Around 90,000 soldiers are being mobilized in the alliance. Germany is taking part in the large-scale maneuver with several of its own exercises under the name Quadriga. Quadriga – this is also the name of the Roman chariot drawn by a team of four – extends over a period of five months. Before the start of the major exercise, the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Carsten Breuer, had reaffirmed Germany’s special responsibility in NATO and said: “The Quadriga exercise is an important step towards war capability with the aim of deterring an enemy.”