Commando Helicopter Force wraps up intense Arctic training

The Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) has successfully completed its Arctic deployment in northern Norway, mastering extreme cold-weather operations and integrating with NATO allies in Exercise Joint Viking, according to a news update.

Operating from the Norwegian air base at Bardufoss, the CHF—comprising 845 Naval Air Squadron (Merlin Mk4 helicopters) and 847 Naval Air Squadron (Commando Wildcats)—delivered battlefield support for Royal Marines, simulating combat scenarios in the Arctic’s harsh environment.

Operation Clockwork, the Royal Navy’s annual Arctic aviation training, is designed to prepare new air and ground crew for survival and operational effectiveness in temperatures as low as -30°C. For seasoned personnel, the deployment refreshes skills crucial to supporting commando operations worldwide.

As part of their training, CHF aviators undertook:

• Aviation assaults – inserting Royal Marines into remote locations for simulated ground attacks and raids
• Direct air support – engaging targets with onboard machine guns or coordinating airstrikes via British and American Joint Tactical Air Controllers
• Casualty evacuations and resupply missions
• Combat search and rescue – including the extraction of two simulated downed F-15 pilots behind enemy lines

A critical component of this year’s Arctic training was the deployment of three Mobile Air Operations Teams (MAOTs). These specialist units established makeshift landing sites, enabling helicopters to refuel and rearm in the field—an essential capability for sustained Arctic operations.

Joint Viking’s final phase unfolded near Harstad, with CHF operating both over land and at sea, launching sorties from the decks of Dutch assault ship HNLMS Johan de Witt and RFA Lyme Bay.

For Sergeant Charlie Nicholson, an RAF exchange aircrewman with 847 Squadron, the Arctic environment provided a steep learning curve, according to the update:

“Having only flown in temperate UK conditions, it was a slight ‘trial by fire’, experiencing night-time snow landings on only my third sortie with 847!. It has improved my capacity greatly, and Norway is an incredible country to operate in.”