UK to double troop number in Norway and join NATO Arctic mission over ‘Russian threat’
Defence Secretary John Healey is expected to announce today that the UK will double the number of troops deployed to Norway.
This will bring the number up from 1,000 to 2,000 over three years.
The announcement is set to take place during a visit to Camp Viking in northern Norway, where Mr Healey will meet Royal Marine Commandos.
Mr Healey is also planning to confirm that the UK will contribute to NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission, as planning for that is under way. It was set up in response to US President Donald Trump’s attempts to annex Greenland over purported security concerns in the Arctic.
Mr Healey said:
“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.
“We see Putin rapidly re-establishing military presence in the region, including reopening old Cold War bases.
“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.”
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