UK to double number of personnel in Norway in response to Arctic threat from Russia

The number of British troops being deployed to Norway will double over the next three years amid rising Russian threats in the High North.

Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the number of British personnel stationed in the Arctic nation will rise from 1,000 to 2,000. The announcement came as he met with Royal Marines during a visit to Camp Viking in northern Norway. 

He also pledged the UK's participation in Nato's Arctic Sentry mission, modelled on other alliance operations such as Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry. 

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The commitment follows increased concern shared among Nato allies about Moscow's activities in the Arctic, which include the reopening of old Cold War bases and an increased military presence. 

"Demands on defence are rising, and Russia poses the greatest threat to Arctic and High North security that we have seen since the Cold War," Mr Healey said. 

"The UK is stepping up to protect the Arctic and High North – doubling the number of troops we have in Norway and scaling up joint exercises with Nato allies."

Mr Healey will join defence ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Thursday to discuss proposals. 

Scaling up of joint exercises 

In March, some 1,500 Royal Marines will deploy to Norway for Exercise Cold Response – the largest military exercise in the country, which will see the commandos learn to train and fight in extreme cold weather conditions. 

In September, the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force will conduct exercise Lion Protector in the region, with air, land and naval forces training to protect critical national infrastructure from sabotage and attack. 

Last year, the UK and Norway signed a major defence pact, the Lunna House Agreement, aimed at protecting critical infrastructure, with both navies jointly operating a fleet of British-built Type 26 frigates. 

According to the MOD, the incidents of Russian vessels threatening UK waters have increased by 30% in the last two years, with submarine activity in the North Atlantic now back to the same levels as the Cold War era.