The overall purpose of the exercise has been to contribute to deterrence, strengthen Norwegian and allied defence capabilities, and reassure the population. This is achieved by demonstrating Norway’s and NATO’s ability to defend the Alliance’s northern flank.
Cold Response 2026 was led by a Norwegian–US headquarters established at Reitan, near Bodø. The exercise took place in Northern Norway and Finland, and in the seas outside North Norway. The exercise gathered 32,500 participants: 7,500 i Finland and 25,000 i Norway. Of the participants in Norway, 11,800 exercised on Norwegian ground, the rest at sea and in the air.
The participants came from 14 nations: Norway and Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Türkiye, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and NATO. The exercise has been important for enhancing interoperability among allied forces and for supporting the integration of Finland and Sweden into NATO.
How the exercise was conducted
Cold Response 2026 was conducted as a multi-domain operation, with military effects coordinated across the land, maritime, air, cyber and space domains. In addition, there were important contributions from the Norway total defence, making the exercise a key component of Total Defence Year 2026.
In parallel with the live exercise, a large-scale simulation was conducted involving significantly larger simulated forces than those that took part physically. This increased the realism, complexity and demands placed on the participating headquarters. In this way, the exercise enabled the testing and validation of plans, as well as decision-making processes at the strategic and operational levels.
Why we exercise
Norway’s challenging climate and varied geography, with short distances between fjords and mountains, make the country an attractive arena for military training. Exercises in Norwegian conditions provide allied forces with valuable experience in Arctic environments, which is essential for operational capability in the High North. Cold Response 26 was conducted primarily in Nordland, Troms and western Finnmark. This constituted the land component of the exercise, with additional land operations in northern Finland. In addition, air operations were conducted over all the Nordic countries, and maritime operations in the North Atlantic.
The exercise in Norway largely took place on civilian, privately owned land and often in close proximity to local communities. This is an established practice in Norway. The Norwegian Armed Forces place great emphasis on ensuring that training activities are conducted with due consideration for the public, and that any damage or inconvenience is handled and compensated in accordance with applicable regulations.
