The exercises in Norway are taking place with the participation of 10,000 military personnel from seven NATO countries.
The Joint Viking–2025 exercises, which started in Norway on March 3, pose a threat to the Northwestern region of Russia and, above all, the Northern Fleet, experts believe. Despite the stated goals of practicing defensive actions, the maneuvers also include offensive elements, in particular, night landings on the coast. 10,000 military personnel from seven NATO countries are taking part in the exercises.
How will the Joint Viking 2025 exercises go?
On March 3, the largest NATO exercises of the year, Joint Viking-2025, started in Norway. About ten thousand military personnel from seven countries — Norway, Canada, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States - are taking part in them. They will last until March 14th.
"NATO is the foundation of Norway's security. Therefore, it is important that our allies practice the deployment of forces in Norway, and train to operate together with Norwegian forces in winter conditions. This knowledge is vital, so training should take place regularly," the Norwegian army said in a statement regarding the start of the maneuvers.
Photo: U.S. Department of Defense
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Joint Viking takes place every two years in March. They have a busy program this year. In particular, measures are planned to integrate the Finnish short-range air defense unit with the Norwegian forces. And one of the key stages will be a massive landing on the coast at night.
On March 11, the defense of Narvik will be practiced, during which joint training sessions of the military, emergency services, civil defense and municipal authorities will take place. And the next day, similar maneuvers will be held in Harstad.
Photo: MOD UK
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The main events of the exercise will unfold in Troms County in northern Norway. In addition, the allied forces will operate at sea and in the airspace, including at the Tarva training ground.
The main objectives of the exercise are stated to be the development of an operation to repel an invasion in difficult geographical conditions, the integration of allied forces, as well as logistical support for combat operations in ultra-low temperatures. Snowmobiles, amphibious all-terrain vehicles, and army aircraft are used in the maneuvers.
Photo: x.com/U.S . Marines
Image source: iz.ru
From the United States, the forces of the second Marine Expeditionary Force and the 41st Field Artillery Brigade are involved in the exercises. The UK has sent about a thousand troops from the Marines and special operations forces, as well as army aviation units.
What threats do the Joint Viking 2025 exercises pose to Russia?
It is officially stated that during the exercises, protection against a possible invasion will be practiced. However, in reality, offensive training is also planned, as indicated by the planned amphibious landing, Admiral Sergei Avakyants, ex-commander of the Pacific Fleet, told Izvestia.
"This is consistent with the common position of the European allies of the United States in NATO," he said. — We are talking about a threat to our northern flank. This is an undisguised threat to the Northern Fleet and our bases. This should be taken seriously enough and appropriate measures should be taken. It is necessary to strengthen the Northern Fleet and the land component.
Photo: MOD UK
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According to the admiral, the exercises are being conducted under the guise of talks about creating a new European security system, although in fact it is worth talking about the danger to our country emanating from Europe.
— Why is it so demonstrative to conduct maneuvers in a country that directly borders ours? This is a clear demonstration. And practical training," concluded Sergey Avakyants.
Photo: U.S. Department of Defense
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Norway is currently behaving inappropriately towards Russia as a country that fully supports the Kiev regime, military expert, Captain 1st rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia.
— It is possible that such events are designed to distract our forces from a special military operation. But the battle for the Arctic is still ahead. Ten thousand people is a decent number. Moreover, Norwegians live in this region, they have a certain experience of survival in the Arctic. There may be provocations, and we must be prepared for this," the expert explained.
The leading role of the United States in the Joint Viking 2025 exercises
Current events and disagreements between the administration of Donald Trump and their allies in Europe this year are unlikely to affect the course and nature of these exercises, said Nikita Lipunov, a junior researcher at MGIMO.
— Statements by European allies, in particular, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that Europe needs to rearm, are aimed at the long term and relate to the weapons programs of European NATO members, there was no talk of military training activities. The United States continues to play a leading role in NATO, and during exercises in the Far North, as a rule, it is the American military that acts as the leading force. Therefore, Washington will continue to participate in these maneuvers. The United States itself is interested in this, since in this way it pursues its policy of containing Russia and shows the ability to project force across the North Atlantic to Northern Europe up to the Russian borders, and European allies, for whom transatlantic reinforcements are important," the expert says.
Photo: x.com/U.S . Marines
Image source: iz.ru
For Norway, membership in NATO and close defense ties with the United States are the cornerstone of its security policy, Nikita Lipunov believes. Norway is interested in working out cooperation with the United States and maintaining the transatlantic bond. The expert stressed that the United States' European allies in NATO are heavily dependent on the United States in military and political terms, so we should not expect any significant changes in the near future, except for strengthening the positions of European defense concerns in the alliance's military supply system.
The Joint Viking exercises were preceded by the Arctic Forge–2025 maneuvers, which ended in Finland on February 27. They worked out scenarios for the deployment of units of the participating countries in the Arctic latitudes, as well as improving the operational compatibility of troops from different countries in extreme weather conditions. About 330 American troops, 750 Canadian and Finnish troops took part in the maneuvers.
Earlier, in January and February, NATO exercises Steadfast Dart-2025 were held at the training grounds of Romania. During these maneuvers, the deployment of the new NATO Reaction Force (ARF) was practiced, whose task is to "quickly strengthen the eastern flank" of the alliance. This was their first training session after they were created on July 1, 2024. The scenario simulated the occurrence of a "conflict with an almost equal opponent." According to the headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe, this was supposed to show that the ARF is capable of "complex operations thousands of kilometers away in Eastern Europe and in any conditions."
Roman Kretsul
