Denmark, Iceland, and Norway are among the 14 NATO member nations contributing to Neptune Strike 26-3, which takes place from 17 to 23 July. For the first time, the recurring military activity is being extended to the High North and the North Atlantic under the Arctic Sentry framework.
Neptune Strike is described by NATO as a recurring enhanced Vigilance Activity (eVA), led by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO). The headquarters is located in Oeiras, Portugal. The activity brings together naval, air, and ground forces as well as multinational units under a joint operational framework.
In Neptune Strike 26-3, the United Kingdom's carrier strike group, led by HMS Prince of Wales, operates alongside the Spanish expeditionary force, led by Castilla. According to NATO, the two forces are supported by contributions from 14 allied nations as well as the NATO Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force.
The combined contributions include surface vessels, submarines, and aircraft. NATO has not specified which assets the Nordic countries are contributing.
The units will train in areas including command, intelligence sharing, and coordination across multiple warfighting domains over large geographic distances. NATO states that conditions in the Arctic, the High North, and the North Atlantic provide an opportunity to exercise multinational forces in a demanding operational environment.
Unlike a traditional annual exercise, Neptune Strike is conducted in multiple iterations with different operational focuses. Previous iterations have been concentrated in the western and central Mediterranean.
Nordic Defence Sector has previously reported on the establishment of Arctic Sentry, which is led by Joint Force Command Norfolk and coordinates allied activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. Neptune Strike 26-3 is the first iteration in the series to be extended to this area under that framework.
In a separate press release, NATO states that the Spanish Navy is leading the NATO force responsible for patrolling the North Atlantic. According to NATO, Neptune Strike, together with Eastern Sentry, Arctic Sentry, and Baltic Sentry, contributes to a continuous allied presence.