Thousands of U.S. and European troops are training in harsh conditions in Norway to demonstrate how NATO would respond to threats along its northern front, as the alliance bolsters positions in Eastern Europe in the wake of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.
About 30,000 troops from 27 nations are taking part in Cold Response 2022, an exercise involving about 220 combat aircraft and more than 50 warships.
Units from the II Marine Expeditionary Force began leaving Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in January to take part in the cold weather training, which runs March 14-April 1, officials said.
Cold Response 2022 is set in a scenario in which Norway, which borders Russia, is attacked and Article 5 in NATO’s Charter is invoked which declares that an attack on one alliance member is an attack on all of them.
“The exercise is defensive and long-planned,” NATO officials said in a statement. “It demonstrates NATO’s ability to respond decisively to any threat, from any direction.”
The exercise will test a number of systems, ranging from logistics to maritime operations, officials said.
“Cold Response gives NATO allies and partners the opportunity to train together in cold weather conditions over challenging terrain,” officials said.
The exercise was planned well before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine almost three weeks ago. NATO officials said Russia declined an invitation to send observers to monitor the drills.