NoCG Hopen sets course for Arctic cooperation – departing Bergen on Friday

The deployment marks the beginning of a two-month voyage across the North Atlantic, during which Norway, together with partners in Iceland, the United States, Canada, and Greenland, will carry out a range of activities, exercises, and professional exchanges.

Operation Arctic Cohesion 2026 is a key element of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) cooperation framework and demonstrates how Arctic coast guards work together in practice to ensure safety, preparedness, and environmental protection in an increasingly active maritime domain.

– Security and preparedness in the Arctic are built through practical cooperation. When coast guards from several nations train, sail, and carry out missions together, we strengthen our collective ability to safeguard safety in some of the world’s most demanding waters, says Second in Command of the Norwegian Coast Guard, Captain Ture Lehn.

A significant contribution to Arctic security

Arctic maritime areas are gaining increasing importance for transportation, fisheries, and other activities. This places high demands on presence, coordination, and the ability to manage incidents under challenging conditions.

Through this deployment, NoCG Hopen will contribute to:

• strengthening operational cooperation between allied coast guards
• enhancing joint response capabilities in search and rescue operations
• further developing interoperability through exercises and joint training
• highlighting Norway’s role and responsibility in the Arctic

The voyage will include everything from transits and port visits to operational exercises and personnel exchanges between participating nations.

From Bergen to North America and back

The first leg of the journey takes NoCG Hopen from Bergen to Iceland, before continuing onward to the United States. There, the vessel will participate in the International Naval Review in New York, followed by joint exercises with the United States Coast Guard.

This will be followed by further cooperation with Canada and Greenland before returning via Iceland and back to Norway in August.

Demonstrating the strength of international cooperation

Operation Arctic Cohesion 2026 is more than a voyage – it is a visible demonstration of how Arctic coast guards stand united in addressing shared responsibilities.

Joint efforts contribute to increased safety for mariners, enhanced preparedness, and improved protection of the fragile Arctic environment.

– The most important thing we take away from such a voyage is the experience we build together with other coast guards. We learn from each other, train together, and develop a shared understanding of how we can cooperate effectively under challenging conditions at sea, says Commanding Officer of KV Hopen, Lieutenant Commander Anders Krakstad.

As emphasized in the operational planning: Arctic coast guards stand united where it matters most – at sea – demonstrating through action how cooperation strengthens safety and stability across the High North.

Press contact: Commander Kjartan Sildnes. Phone: +47 97 53 26 51 Email: ksildnes@mil.no