The Royal Marines, alongside other elements of the UK Commando Force, are deploying to the Arctic Circle to reinforce NATO’s northern flank amid ongoing tensions in Europe, according to a news update.
The deployment underscores the United Kingdom’s commitment to the region’s security through participation in major military exercises and cold-weather training.
The British contingent, including the Royal Marines, Army Commandos, and the Commando Helicopter Force, has undergone three months of rigorous preparation for operations in the harsh Arctic environment, where temperatures can drop to -35°C, and sunlight is minimal during the polar night.
Their base of operations, Camp Viking, located near Skjold in Norway, will serve as a hub for the next decade as the Royal Marines continue their tradition of cold-weather and mountain warfare, which dates back to the 1940s.
As part of their training, the Commandos are refining their ability to operate in the Arctic terrain, including survival, movement, and combat techniques. This preparation will culminate in Exercise Joint Viking, Norway’s largest military exercise of 2025, involving over 10,000 troops from seven nations.
The British contribution will form the Littoral Response Group (North), a versatile task force comprising amphibious ships, landing craft, helicopters, and troops.
In addition to troop readiness, the deployment includes the integration of new technology, such as snowmobiles acquired through a £10 million investment, to enhance reconnaissance and raiding capabilities. The Commando Helicopter Force, based at Bardufoss under Operation Clockwork, continues its annual environmental flying qualifications and cold-weather training, ensuring air crews are adept at operating in extreme conditions.
“Op Clockwork has been a cornerstone of Arctic training for over 50 years, providing essential skills for Joint Helicopter Command personnel,” the release noted. Training includes environmental flying qualifications, survival courses, and advanced cold-weather operational drills, such as helicopter landing site assessment in snow and ice.
Snowmobiles – new technology! Really! New to the Commandos perhaps but to my knowledge they have been around to decades. I’m actually rather surprised that we have not been using for decades as well..! Nice to see us catching up with modern tech.
Cheers CR
PS. Don’t mind me feeling a bit negative about the impending cuts…
If we are lucky we will have 1 Bay class in attendance so this hardly equates the plural of ‘amphibious ships’. Also a a high proportion of personnel this year are novices because of the numbers leaving so training is rather limited.
But let’s not let reality get in the way of a good press release.