Marines Forge New Role for Collective Arctic Defense During NATO Exercise

Marines concluded their participation in the Norwegian-led Exercise Cold Response 26 on March 19, having validated a new model of integrated support for NATO operations in the high north.

The exercise was the first of its kind since Finland and Sweden joined the alliance, proving their immediate capability and marking a new era of collective defense. The new model focuses on fully integrating the Marine air-ground task force into a NATO command structure and establishing a joint logistics command for rapid crisis response.

"In crisis, we don't have the luxury of time; we have to be ready," said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Farrell Sullivan, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division. "Our ability to globally deploy combat credible forces into the high north in support of NATO underpins our commitment to allies and partners and our national interests."

This rapid response capability highlights a history of strategic partnership between Norway and the Marine Corps. Since 1982, the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program Norway has stored Marine Corps equipment preserved in climate-controlled mountain caves.

"Seeing all the equipment and supplies ready for you - fueled, warm and in a controlled-climate area - is a complete game changer," said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Alondra Plouff, noncommissioned officer in charge of the cave sites.

"Our strategic position in the Arctic, with open sea lanes, ice-free harbors and the ability to receive forces into the theater, is one of our most important roles," said Norwegian Brig. Gen. Nina Berg, commander of the Norwegian Joint Logistics Operations Center.

Marine Corps Combat Logistics Battalion 6 departed Norway March 8, escorted by Norwegian and Swedish military police, to transport some of these logistical assets in a long-range convoy across Norway and Sweden, arriving in Finland March 10.

With logistics in place, the exercise moved to its combat phase.

In a historic first, a combined force from the Franco-German Binational Air Transportation Squadron and service members from the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 airlifted Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, from Norway to Finland aboard a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Upon landing, the company was placed under the tactical control of the Swedish army's 4th Mechanized Brigade, fighting as a single, fused entity in a force-on-force battle.

Simultaneously, in Norway, other Marine companies from the battalion integrated with the Norwegian army's Combat Service Support Battalion. Using the Norwegian's Bandvagn 206 all-terrain vehicles for critical mobility, this combined force maneuvered through the austere terrain to fight the Spanish army's Mountain Infantry Regiment, which acted as the opposing force.

"The purpose of Cold Response is deterrence, and the only way you can deter is if you have a credible threat," said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Chase Bradford, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion. "With our Marines training collectively, we know that if we ever have to fight together with our NATO allies, we can immediately come together and win."

For the Marines on the ground, their training objectives were achieved through direct partnership and learning from their highly experienced Nordic counterparts.

"Working with the Norwegians, especially, we learned a lot about cold-weather tactics and how to operate in this environment. It's been very beneficial," said Marine Corps Sgt. Logan Beaver, a squad leader with Echo Company. "The most important thing is not only surviving but thriving in the terrain and then using that to our advantage with our Norwegian allies."

The strategic importance of the exercise was highlighted by a visit from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who observed a demonstration of allied capabilities in Setermoen, Norway.

"Cold Response has once again demonstrated Norway's central role, with over 30,000 personnel here and in Finland from 14 allied countries training as part of this exercise," Rutte said during a press conference March 18. "Exercising and learning from one another builds bonds between allies and ensures the ability of NATO nations to operate effectively and to do this together."