Nordic Response (named Cold Response until 2023)[1] is a military exercise hosted by Norway with other NATO and invited Partnership for Peace countries held every other year.[2]
Exercises
editThe 2006 exercise
editThe first exercises was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006. Around 10,000 soldiers from 11 nations participated.[3]
Operations
editSeveral of the operations were along the coast in the borders between sea and land, and together with roads and populated areas. Surveillance, patrols, road control posts, vehicle inspection, control of air space, minesweeping, evacuation of civilians, and riot control were important part of the exercise.
Participants
editAmong the participants were the Norwegian Telemark Battalion, a thousand soldiers from the Norwegian Home Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air Force's 339 Squadron and 720 Squadron, and most of the Royal Norwegian Navy's available forces. About 3,000 soldiers from the British 3 Commando Brigade, completed their annual winter training by taking part in the exercise. 800 French mountain special forces, and 2,000 Swedish soldiers along with smaller units from the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Switzerland, United States, Finland, Spain, Denmark and Canada also took part.
Scenario
editFollowing an earthquake in a fictional nation called Asando, an armed conflict by extremists and separation-groups against government forces erupts. The security council approves a resolution to allow NATO to take control of the situation. A peacekeeping force was assigned to help settle the conflict.[4]
The 2007 exercise
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The 2009 exercise
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The military exercises were held through 16-25 March.
The 2010 exercise
editThe military exercises were from 17 February - 4 March, with up to 9,000 troops from 14 participating nations.
The 2012 exercise
edit12–21 March, with over 16,000 troops from 15 participating nations.
The 2014 exercise
edit7–22 March, with over 16,000 troops from 16 participating nations.[5]
The 2016 exercise
edit29 February through 11 March, with over 15,000 troops from 12 participating nations.[6]
The 2020 exercise
edit2-18 March, with some 16,000 troops from 10 participation nations.
Stopped and canceled on 11 March due to the risk of increase spreading of COVID-19.[7]
The 2021 exercise - cancelled before exercise
editThe exercise that was cancelled in January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
The 2022 exercise
editThe exercise is scheduled for March and April 2022 and will be led by the Norwegian Joint Headquarters. The first allied troops arrived in Norway in the autumn and winter 2021–22 to train and prepare for the exercise.
The military activity took take place in south-eastern Norway, Central Norway and Northern Norway. As of March 2022, a total of 27 nations and approximately 30,000 troops are signed up for the exercise.[9] According to a Norwegian Joint Headquarters spokesman, this is 5,000 fewer troops than expected due to the concurrent Russian invasion of Ukraine.[10]
The 2024 exercise
edit
4—15 March
In 2024, the exercise was renamed Nordic Response, reflecting the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden.[11]
NATO initiated the Nordic Response 2024 exercise with over 20,000 troops from 13 nations, including Finland, Norway and Sweden. The drill is conducted in Arctic conditions.[12]
Accidents
editLeopard 2 through the ice
editTwo Norwegian soldiers from the Telemark Battalion died when a Leopard 2 tank went through the ice in 2006.[13]
C-130 Hercules accident
editA Royal Norwegian Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed during the exercise in the north of Sweden on 15 March 2012 where all five on board were killed.[14]
MV-22B Osprey accident
editA United States Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey[15] aircraft crashed in Beiarn Municipality during the exercise on 18 March 2022. All 4 crew members were killed.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Nordic Response 2024". Forsvaret (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "Exercise Cold Response 2022 – NATO and partner forces face the freeze in Norway". NATO. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Iraki, Rima; Tranøy, Lars Kristian (17 March 2006). "To soldater døde etter ulykken". Verdens Gang. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Jacobsen, Magnus Wright. "Cold Response 2006". www.yumpu.com/. Gardisten. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Sixteen Nations Participating in Norway's Cold Response Military Exercise This Week". Atlantic Council. 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- ^ "STATEMENT BY THE DELEGATION OF NORWAY" (PDF).
- ^ Danilov, From Peter B. "Cold Response 2020 Cancelled". www.highnorthnews.com. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
- ^ Nilsen, Thomas. "Norway cancels allied exercise over COVID-19 safety concerns". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Exercise Cold Response 2022 – NATO and partner forces face the freeze in Norway". www.nato.int. NATO. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ Olsen, Øyvind Førland (7 March 2022). "Cold Response: 5.000 færre deltakende soldater enn planlagt". Forsvarets Forum. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Nordic Response 2024". Forsvaret (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "NATO launches historic Nordic response drill in Finland, Norway and Sweden". Associated Press. 2024-03-04. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "Tank crashes through ice - two soldiers killed". Irish Examiner. 17 March 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ "Went almost clear of the mountainside" Archived 2012-04-21 at the Wayback Machine, Teknisk Ukeblad 19 March 2012. Retrieved: 7 August 2012.
- ^ "U.S. military plane crashes with four on board in Norway, Norwegian government says". CBS News. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Hjetland, Geir Bjarte (2022-03-18). "Amerikansk militærfly har styrtet i Nordland". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2022-03-18.