NATO launched its biennial Cold Response military exercise in the Arctic on Monday, placing new emphasis on how civilians can support allied forces in a crisis. The drills, set to run from March 9 to March 19, concentrate on defending the alliance in the European Arctic, a region where NATO members Norway and Finland share a land border with Russia.
This iteration of Cold Response, which has been integrated into the broader NATO mission dubbed Arctic Sentry, comes at a time of heightened diplomatic friction tied to U.S. interest in Greenland. The Arctic Sentry initiative was established to strengthen NATOs presence in the polar region and to ease strains related to that political dispute.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly argued that the United States needs Greenland to guard against perceived threats from Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic and has questioned Denmark's ability to guarantee the islands security. Both the Danish government and Greenlands authorities have rejected any suggestion of a sale of the island.
Organizers say roughly 25,000 troops from about 14 nations will take part in the exercise this year. The majority of operations will occur across northern Norway and Finland. The United States and Denmark are among the participating countries, and U.S. forces are expected to number about 4,000 personnel in the exercise area.
Ahead of the opening of Cold Response, U.S. forces withdrew one squadron of F-35 fighter jets that had been scheduled to participate. Military officials declined to confirm whether ongoing operations in the Middle East influenced that adjustment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe offered this explanation:
"The U.S. military is a globally deployed force and it is not abnormal for forces to be dynamically re-tasked or reallocated for a host of reasons."
Norway has designated 2026 as the year of "total defence," a policy approach that underlines the need to increase the readiness of civilians, commercial enterprises and public institutions to cope with war and other severe emergencies. Norwegian authorities describe the goal as ensuring that most aspects of society continue to function under stress so the military can carry out its defensive mission.
Major-General Lars Lervik, head of the Norwegian Army, said the exercises offer a chance to rehearse specific civilian support roles that would assist military operations. He pointed to examples such as the health service scaling up to treat a larger-than-normal number of injured soldiers, whether Norwegian or from allied contingents.
As part of the drill schedule, the military will stage a scenario on Thursday that tests hospitals in northern Norway on their ability to receive and treat a surge of casualties evacuated from a simulated frontline in Finland. The scenario aims to evaluate coordination between military medical evacuation and civilian health infrastructure under pressure.
Cold Response has evolved into a recurring element of NATOs Arctic posture, and this years exercise continues that pattern while placing new operational emphasis on the integration of civilian services and institutions with military planning.
Key details:
- Exercise name: Cold Response - March 9-19.
- Broader mission: Arctic Sentry.
- Participants: About 25,000 troops from approximately 14 nations; U.S. contingent expected around 4,000.