25,000 soldiers participate in Cold Response

During March, approximately 25,000 soldiers from 14 countries are participating in the military winter exercise Cold Response 2026. The Norwegian-led exercise is centred on northern Norway, Finland, and adjacent maritime areas. Several participating nations are now announcing their involvement in the exercise, including Sweden, France, and Italy. 

– In a more unpredictable world, we must strengthen Norway's defence capability, says Norway's Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik. 

According to a press release from the Norwegian government, the exercise demonstrates that allied forces can operate together under demanding conditions. The Defence Minister also emphasises that Norway's Total Defence (Totalforsvar) framework simultaneously receives training in preparedness and crisis management. 

In total, approximately 11,800 of the soldiers will exercise on Norwegian soil in Troms and northern Nordland, while the remaining personnel participate at sea, in the air, and in Finland. Participants come from 14 NATO nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. 

In a press release from the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten), it is announced that the Swedish Air Force is also participating in Cold Response. 

During the exercise, which runs from 9 to 22 March, military aviation activity will take place over northern Sweden, primarily over Norrbotten and parts of Västerbotten. Combat aircraft, helicopters, and transport aircraft from several participating nations will operate from and fly over the region. 

In total, more than 3,000 soldiers, officers, and civilian personnel from Sweden are participating in the exercise.

French soldiers are also participating alongside Italian forces under Finnish command. On social media, an official account of the French Defence Staff has published images showing Finnish instructors teaching the use of equipment in Arctic conditions, as preparation for Cold Response. 

Participants come from 14 nations: Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Belgium. In addition to training interoperability across national boundaries under winter conditions, Cold Response forms part of Norway's Total Defence Year 2026. The exercise also serves as a step in integrating the new NATO member states Finland and Sweden into the Alliance. Allied exercise activity will also be conducted in the area during the weeks before and after the main phase of the exercise.