It is the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War. The goal: deterrence towards Russia. But Norway has a very special role to play.
Oslo – When it comes to defense policy, names have a lot of symbolic power. “Steadfast Defender 2024” is the name of the major NATO exercise that is currently underway in Europe – i.e. “Steadfast Defender”. 90,000 soldiers will be there by May. Scenario of the exercise: a Russian attack on Allied territory. Norway plays a central role in this. The NATO cards are being completely reshuffled there after neighboring Finland joined the alliance and Sweden will soon also be a member. The traditional military exercise “Cold Response”, which the Norwegian armed forces held every few years, is now called something different: namely “Nordic Response”. The new name was by no means chosen arbitrarily.
Major NATO maneuver “Steadfast Defender 2024”: New signs after NATO’s northern expansion
“The renaming to 'Nordic Response' is a sign that the entire North is acting as a unit in NATO,” explains defense expert Robin Allers in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA. He is an associate professor at the Defense University in Oslo, where young soldiers in the Norwegian Armed Forces begin their officer careers.
With NATO's northern expansion, the omens for Norway are now different. “This changes everything, and dramatically,” said Norwegian brigadier general and military communications chief Eystein Kvarving at the end of October IPPEN.MEDIA explained. The common border between Russia and Norway is around 200 kilometers long in the north, near the Arctic. There is also a huge area in the North Atlantic where the Norwegian military has significantly increased its activities since the start of the Ukraine war. More ships are sailing and observation planes are on the lookout for Russian submarines. With Finland joining NATO in April 2023, NATO's land border will be extended by more than a thousand kilometers and with Sweden on board, the hinterland will be even larger.
Troop transfers to the Baltic Sea: scenario is practiced in “Steadfast Defender”.
“Norway’s role as a host nation and transit country has changed,” says defense expert Robin Allers. “When Allied troops and material from the USA, Germany or Great Britain arrive by sea in Norway, they will in future be able to sail directly through Sweden, to Finland, the Baltic Sea region and the Baltics,” explains Allers.
On the one hand, “Steadfast Defender 2024” is about relocating troops from abroad to the east and north. But also about practical training on unfamiliar terrain: in the event of a crisis, rapid troop movements towards the Baltic Sea and the far north of Norway would be necessary. Conditions in the Arctic Circle are harsh, with double-digit temperatures below zero and often impassable terrain. Germany is also taking part in “Nordic Response” as part of the NATO exercise. In this country the maneuver is called “Quadriga”. “The 'Quadriga' exercise then merges into 'Nordic Response', so to speak. For example, submarines will be launched, and the 23 Mountain Infantry Brigade will also be there,” says Robin Allers.
Russia reacts to NATO maneuvers: “This is the usual saber rattling”
Meanwhile, Russia is reacting to the large-scale maneuver. “You will notice that the allies are practicing together right on their doorstep,” says expert Allers. “It is quite possible that Russia will respond to this, with propaganda or even with its own exercises. This is the usual saber rattling.” Norway is always very careful not to appear as an aggressor or threat to Russia. “But the signal is: We are ready.”
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