Britain to double troop presence in Norway and join Nato Arctic mission as Russia rebuilds Cold War bases in High North
Britain will double the number of troops it sends to Norway as part of a push to strengthen defences in the High North in the face of growing Russian activity.
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Defence Secretary John Healey is also set to formally commit UK forces to Nato’s Arctic Sentry mission, a new effort by the alliance to reinforce security across the region, amid heightened geopolitical tensions that have drawn renewed attention to Greenland and the wider Arctic.
The announcement comes as former Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter urges European nations to deepen military co-operation to deter Moscow and sustain support for Ukraine.
During a visit to Royal Marines at Camp Viking in northern Norway, Mr Healey confirmed troop numbers will rise from around 1,000 to 2,000 over the next three years. He also confirmed that British forces will contribute to Nato’s Arctic Sentry mission.
Mr Healey will present the plans to fellow defence ministers at Nato headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
He said rising global instability and Russia’s actions had sharpened the need for a stronger allied presence in the region.
“Russia poses the greatest threat to Arctic and High North security that we have seen since the Cold War,” he said.
“We are seeing President Putin re-establish military infrastructure in the region, including the reopening of former Cold War bases.
“The UK is stepping up, doubling our troop presence in Norway and expanding joint exercises with our Nato allies.”
Around 1,500 Royal Marines are due to deploy to Norway in March for Nato’s Exercise Cold Response, designed to test allied forces in extreme winter conditions.
Later in the year, the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force will stage major drills across the region, bringing together air, land and naval units to practise defending critical undersea and coastal infrastructure from potential attack or sabotage.
Concerns over Russian hybrid activity were also highlighted in a new paper by Sir Nick Carter for the Tony Blair Institute.
He warned that Russia and its military intelligence agency, the GRU, were conducting a sustained campaign of sabotage and subversion across Europe, including airspace incursions involving Nato territory.
“If we are to deter this behaviour, we must be able to impose credible costs,” he wrote, arguing that failure to respond robustly would only embolden further aggression.
The paper calls for significant improvements in Europe’s military capability and sustained backing for Kyiv, warning that decades of under-investment have left the continent exposed.
“Drift is no longer a neutral option,” Sir Nick said, urging European leaders to take rapid collective action or risk being shaped by events rather than shaping them.