Arctic survival: Plunging through the ice with the Commando Helicopter Force

Before Commando Helicopter Force personnel can operate in Norway or go to the country as part of a deployment, they have to pass a special cold weather course.

This is not for the faint-hearted, with personnel undertaking eight days of survival training in the Arctic.

The Cold Weather Aviation Operators Course sees personnel camp out in the unforgiving climate, build their own shelter and kill and prepare their own food.

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It also sees them take on ice-breaker drills - with personnel plunging into a hole through the ice and the freezing water below.

They then have to climb back out, but now safe in the knowledge that they could get themselves to safety if they were to fall through thin ice for real.