The 6th edition of the multinational winter war exercise hosted by Norway brings units from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom together. In an area that is more than 200 km (124 miles) long and between 50 and 100 km (31 and 62 miles) deep, all the way from the southern tip of the beautiful Lofoten islands to the northern Norwegian town of Tromsø. Epicentre is Narvik-Harstad. The air forces involved will use a even bigger chunk of the Norwegian coast, with operations going on all the way from Tromsø to Trondheim in the south of the country.
Sixteen thousand troops, 16 nations and a sizable sea force supported by numerous airplanes are currently scrambling to defend the northern coasts of Norway. Why? To show that NATO and her partners have teeth and to train to keep those sharp during exercise Cold Response 2014. The first units have moving in place since the end of February, getting ready for the day the war games begin on 11 March 2014 (DV Day) in what can become the biggest joint combined military exercises of Western Europe this year.
Cold Response 2014 will conclude the operations on 19 March. For some countries, like Sweden, be the biggest military exercise of the year. The Swedes contribute 1400 troops this year and will lead the multinational brigade for the first time. The brigade includes forces from the UK, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway. The naval manoeuvers that preluded the exercise had been given their own operation’s name, Dynamic Mongoose, that also saw the involvement of three Royal Navy Merlins. Of course more interesting to us are all air assets of Cold Response 2014.
In-theatre airbases will be Tromsø, Bardufoss, Andenes and Narvik-Harstad. Bodø and Ørland will be used as launching or retracting airfields during the simulated war, and possibly even Luleå-Kallax in Sweden. No word about Kiruna this year, which might have been skipped after the sensitive crash of a RNoAF C-130J on 15 March 2012 en route to Kiruna Flygplats.
RNoAF NH90 maritime helicopter with serial 049 during tests at Bardufoss Airbase
A pair of Royal Norwegian Air Force Bell 412 SPs in action during Cold Response 2014. The leading aircraft is sporting Gatling machine guns
A pair of Bell 412s from 339 skavdron at Skjold
RNoAF Bell 412SP with serial 167 coming in low, sporting Gatling guns on both sides of the aircraft
RNoAF NH90 maritime helicopter with serial 049 during tests at Bardufoss Airbase
A Polish Navy SH-2G Seasprite
German Army Aviation (Heeresflieger) Bell UH-1D Iroquois, serial 72-32
Sixteen thousand troops, 16 nations and a sizable sea force supported by numerous airplanes are currently scrambling to defend the northern coasts of Norway. Why? To show that NATO and her partners have teeth and to train to keep those sharp during exercise Cold Response 2014. The first units have moving in place since the end of February, getting ready for the day the war games begin on 11 March 2014 (DV Day) in what can become the biggest joint combined military exercises of Western Europe this year.
Cold Response 2014 will conclude the operations on 19 March. For some countries, like Sweden, be the biggest military exercise of the year. The Swedes contribute 1400 troops this year and will lead the multinational brigade for the first time. The brigade includes forces from the UK, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway. The naval manoeuvers that preluded the exercise had been given their own operation’s name, Dynamic Mongoose, that also saw the involvement of three Royal Navy Merlins. Of course more interesting to us are all air assets of Cold Response 2014.
In-theatre airbases will be Tromsø, Bardufoss, Andenes and Narvik-Harstad. Bodø and Ørland will be used as launching or retracting airfields during the simulated war, and possibly even Luleå-Kallax in Sweden. No word about Kiruna this year, which might have been skipped after the sensitive crash of a RNoAF C-130J on 15 March 2012 en route to Kiruna Flygplats.
RNoAF NH90 maritime helicopter with serial 049 during tests at Bardufoss Airbase
A pair of Royal Norwegian Air Force Bell 412 SPs in action during Cold Response 2014. The leading aircraft is sporting Gatling machine guns
A pair of Bell 412s from 339 skavdron at Skjold
RNoAF Bell 412SP with serial 167 coming in low, sporting Gatling guns on both sides of the aircraft
RNoAF NH90 maritime helicopter with serial 049 during tests at Bardufoss Airbase
A Polish Navy SH-2G Seasprite
German Army Aviation (Heeresflieger) Bell UH-1D Iroquois, serial 72-32