U.S. Special Operations Forces will join Danish, Norwegian and Swedish counterparts in Norway and Sweden from 12–29 October for Exercise Adamant Serpent 26, a U.S. Special Operations Command Europe–led Arctic and sub-Arctic drill aimed at sharpening rapid response and allied interoperability.
Running annually since 2021, Adamant Serpent will bring nearly 400 personnel together to apply “modern tactical warfighting techniques” across dispersed training areas in both nations. The scenario stresses swift deployment, integration and sustainment in harsh climates, reflecting the alliance’s renewed focus on the High North and Baltic approaches.
“Adapting to modern warfare requires a united front,” said Lt Gen Richard Angle, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Europe. “Exercise Adamant Serpent demonstrates the robust partnership between the U.S. and our NATO Allies as we collaborate to address challenges in the High North.”
He added that SOF provide “critical capabilities that address complex security challenges in response to adversarial aggression.”
Norway will host significant infrastructure and ranges, including at Rygge Air Base, underpinning multi-domain serials with air support. “Adamant Serpent is a very strategic exercise and with current global security dynamics, this gives a realistic backdrop,” said Brig Gen Thomas Harlem of the Norwegian Air Force Warfare Center. “The interoperability with U.S. and Allied forces, combined with air support, is important to secure the High North.”
Sweden, now integrated into NATO planning, will contribute training areas to test mobility, logistics and joint effects in demanding terrain. “Hosting exercises such as these is important for us for many reasons,” said Lt Gen Carl-Johan Edström, Chief of the Defence Staff, Swedish Armed Forces. “It enhances our operational effect, and it shows our shared commitment to the security of the Baltic Sea Region and the High North.”
Organisers say the focus is on cohesive SOF task groups able to deploy, deter and, if required, fight alongside conventional forces, while validating communications, sustainment and cold-weather survivability. The exercise sits alongside a wider pattern of allied Arctic activity and complements standing air policing and maritime vigilance across NATO’s northern flank.
Adamant Serpent 26 underscores a simple premise: preparedness in the High North cannot be improvised. As Lt Gen Angle put it, the exercise is designed to reinforce the ability to “deploy, fight, and win as a unified, multinational force” before a crisis arrives.
Bugger that for a game of Soldiers, way too colllllldddddd 🥶🥶🥶