U.S., Allies Kick Off Drills at Strategic Norwegian Island

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Cameron Mascaro, a mortarman, left, and Navy Hospital Corpsman Third Class Travis Ladenburger, both with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, pose for a photo during exercise Cold Response 26 in Setermoen, Norway, March 11, 2026. A key component of NATO’s enhanced vigilance activity Arctic Sentry, exercise Cold Response 26 is a Norwegian-led winter military exercise. US Marine Corps photo U.S., Norwegian and U.K. forces deployed Wednesday to Jan Mayen, a strategic island in the Norwegian Sea for a NATO Arctic Sentry enhanced Vigilance Activity.

The trilateral operation is meant to strengthen NATO’s ability to operate jointly in challenging Arctic conditions and will integrate multinational sensors, command-and-control nodes and precision fires into a joint kill web in support of NATO and U.S. Homeland defense, according to a U.S. Marine Corps release.

“By operating alongside our allies, we demonstrate that we have both the capability and the will to defend Norwegian territory,” Norwegian Vice Adm. Rune Andersen, Commander of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, said in the news release. “This includes the Arctic islands, the High North and our territorial waters.”

Jan Mayen is a remote volcanic island 1,000 kilometers – 621 miles – from the mainland of Norway. The island is inhabited by a small group of Norwegian military and civilian personnel who operate the meteorological station on the island.

Jan Mayen also occupies an important geostrategic position north of the Greenland-Iceland-U.K. gap. During the Cold War, the GIUK gap formed a chokepoint against entry into the Atlantic Ocean by Russian naval forces operating from the Kola Peninsula. The island has again become strategically important as Russia increases its military activities.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, conduct a squad attack during exercise Cold Response 26 in Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 11, 2026.US Marine Corps photo In response to Russia, NATO has stepped up its activities in the High North and Arctic region. NATO has streamlined its activities into a single overall operational approach with the aim of securing the High North and Arctic region under Operation Arctic Sentry, which was launched in February.

“With Russia’s increasing military activity and China’s growing interest in the Arctic, allies have agreed to do more to ensure our collective security in this vital region,” reads a NATO news release from February on the launch of Arctic Sentry.

The exercise, which will conclude Sept. 4, also falls under Operation Atlantic City and will be executed concurrently with naval maneuvers during Exercise Northern Viking 26. This will allow the trilateral force to maximize overlapping maritime and sensing resources across the European theater, while also supporting NATO’s Arctic Sentry activities.

“Arctic Sentry is our way of synchronizing all Arctic activity conducted by Allies to increase Arctic security, gain the most deterrent effect possible from those activities, and make sure that we have increased our common situational awareness in the Arctic,” said Norwegian Army Maj. Gen. Frode Kristoffersen, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations at NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk, which is responsible for NATO operations in the Atlantic and High North.

Operation Atlantic City is named after a U.S. military base that was established at Nordlaguna on Jan Mayen during World War II to support meteorological observations and Allied control of the North Atlantic.

The operation will amass multinational capabilities for integrated operations with each nation deploying a variety of forces and capabilities instrumental to protecting regional security, maritime domain awareness and sea denial operations.

“We want to prove the Marine Corps’ role as the contact-layer enabler of lethality for the joint and combined force,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. David Palacio, the fires officer for U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa (MARFOREUR/AF), in the release. “By deploying to Jan Mayen, we are ensuring the Alliance can instantly target and deny adversary freedom of maneuver in highly contested maritime terrain.”

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, build a fire at Cold Weather Training during exercise Cold Response 26 in Setermoen, Norway, Feb. 11, 2026. US Marine Corps photo U.S. participation includes U.S. Marines from MARFOREUR/AF, II Marine Expeditionary Force and elements of the 10th Marine Regiment and Marine Air Support Squadron 1. Air mobility and rapid insertion capabilities will be provided by a U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130 and a U.S. Air Forces Europe C-130 while fire capabilities will be provided by a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) platoon from the 3-197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard.

The U.S. Navy is also participating with elements of U.S. 6th Fleet and Commander, Task Force 68, which commands all Naval Expeditionary Forces in U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.

Norwegian participants include personnel from the Royal Norwegian Navy and the Norwegian Home Guard. The U.K will deploy elements of No. 70 Squadron, Royal Air Force, which operates the A400M Atlas transport aircraft and detachments of Royal Marine Commandos.

“This highlights the ironclad relationships we share with our Norwegian and British Allies, By building combat capacity together, we ensure the burden of securing the High North is shared effectively across the Alliance,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Daniel Shipley, MARFOREUR/AF commander.

Last year in September, the three countries also conducted training on Jan Mayen. At the time, an RAF A400M making a first-of-its-type landing on the island, transporting a Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle from pre-positioned locations in Norway with the JLTV simulating the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, according to an RAF release.