Home Europe Three NATO drills in Arctic underway as Joint Warrior kicks off

Three NATO drills in Arctic underway as Joint Warrior kicks off

Joint Warrior 2023
Illustration: Royal Navy file photo of ships taking part in an earlier Joint Warrior maneuver

More than 30 ships, four submarines and multiple aircraft ranging from maritime patrol to troop transporters have kicked off the NATO maneuver Joint Warrior 2023.

Taking place predominantly off the Northern coast of Norway and throughout the Northern European Seas, Joint Warrior is led by the UK Royal Navy and incorporates surface, subsurface, airborne, and land scenarios.

Participating nations include Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Poland, the UK, and the US.

Joint Warrior is one of three major international maneuvers currently underway and focusing on Arctic scenarios. The other two include the Norway-led Joint Viking, a military winter exercise held every two years, and Arctic Forge, a US Army-led umbrella exercise that draws on partner-hosted exercises in Finland and Norway.

“During Joint Warrior we validate and develop new capabilities that allow NATO allies to fight more effectively alongside one another,” said CDR Peter Flynn, commanding officer of USS Arleigh Burke, one of the destroyers taking part in Joint Warrior 2023. “America’s lead destroyer, USS Arleigh Burke, brings a highly capable ship and an enthusiastic crew – when combined with our NATO allies, we are the most capable fighting force on Earth.”

Joint Viking that runs alongside Joint Warrior is aimed at ensuring that the Norwegian Armed Forces are able to defend Norway. This especially applies to a long and strategically located country like Norway, especially in the light of the deteriorating security situation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.