British Secretary of Defense John Healy recently announced that the British military contingent in Norway would double in the next three years from 1,000 troops to 2,000.

NATO is increasing its presence in the Arctic with a series of exercises and planned deployments aimed at securing the North from Russia and China.  

As part of that increased presence in the North, the UK is sending more troops to Norway, as well as creating a new expeditionary force specializing in arctic warfare.  

The Royal Marines Are Securing NATO’s Northern Flank  

Following the controversy over Greenland and its potential acquisition by the United States, the discussion around the Arctic has flared up. The Arctic is a strategic location. The frozen mass holds vast natural resources, as well as the promise of important trade routes. Russia and China are vying for the frozen landmass and what lies underneath it. To help secure the region, the UK is stepping up its military commitment.  

Last Wednesday, British Secretary of State for Defence John Healy visited the Royal Marine Commandos at Camp Viking in the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. He confirmed that the number of British troops deployed to Norway would double over three years from 1,000 to 2,000. This year, the British military will deploy approximately 1,500 Royal Marines to the forward base alongside their ground vehicles and air assets. 

Camp Viking has been a British expeditionary military base in northern Norway since 2023. Located next to the village of Øverbygd, near the border with Sweden and Finland, the base is only 225 miles from the Russian border. The proximity to Russia means that in the event of a conflict with Moscow, Royal Marines stationed in Camp Viking would be at the first line of NATO’s defense.

In September, London and Oslo reached a landmark bilateral agreement to deepen their diplomatic and military relations. As part of the Lunna House agreement, Norway will purchase five Type 26 frigates from the UK, and the British military will operate in the Scandinavian country year-round. Before the agreement, the UK Commando Force deployed to Norway every winter for arctic warfare training and joint drills with the Norwegian military and other NATO forces.   

NATO’s Combat Structure in the Arctic Just Got an Upgrade

As part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), hundreds of troops will deploy across Iceland, the Danish Straits, and Norway. The goal of the JEF is to enhance deterrence and defence in the Arctic, High North, and North Atlantic. 

“Demands on defence are rising, and Russia poses the greatest threat to Arctic and High North security that we have seen since the Cold War. We see Putin rapidly re-establishing military presence in the region, including reopening old Cold War bases,” Healy said in a government press release.  

The Royal Marine Commandos are the British military’s premier amphibious warfare and arctic warfare specialists. A light infantry special operations unit, the Royal Marines can operate on land and sea.  

Royal Marines have deployed to Norway since World War II, when they raided German occupation bases in the Scandinavian country.  

“The UK is stepping up to protect the Arctic and High North—doubling the number of troops we have in Norway and scaling up joint exercises with NATO allies,” Healy added.  

The British military continues to have a very active presence in NATO and European security. 

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

A Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) of the UK’s Royal Marines conducting Live Firing Tactical Training during Winter Deployment 21 in the Arctic. (UK Ministry of Defence/PO Phot Si Ethell) File:Royal Marines master survival skills in the Arctic MOD 45169593.jpg – Wikimedia Commons

The post Why Is the UK Sending More Troops to the Arctic? appeared first on The National Interest.