The United Kingdom on Wednesday announced the creation of a military base in northern Norway to bolster NATO’s Arctic capabilities amid concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The newly established base in Norway, called Camp Viking, will serve as a hub for Royal Commandos, Britain’s Royal Navy has announced. It described the troops as “the tip of the Arctic spear”, as it will be made up of troops capable of fighting in extreme cold conditions.
A new operational base in the Arctic will support British commandos for the next 10 years as the UK underlines its commitment to security in Norway,” the statement added.
Norway, which borders Russia, refuses to host permanent bases for foreign soldiers, so Camp Viking is set to remain open for just over a decade.
The purpose-built base, located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Tromsø, will be able to accommodate all personnel from Britain’s elite force of Royal Marines who form the elite for overseas operations.
“The location of the camp is ideal for deterring threats in the region and is located so that the UK can respond quickly if needed to protect NATO’s northern flank and its close ally, Norway,” the British statement said Royal Navy.
About a thousand British commandos will be deployed to the base this winter, the British side says.
In a comment to AFP, Norway’s defense ministry said the facility had previously been used by NATO allies and then Dutch marines.
“The camp is Norwegian and funded by the Norwegian government with defense funds,” a Norwegian ministry spokesman said.
Norway has a 123-mile (198 km) land border with Russia, and supplies Ukraine with a wide range of military equipment, including artillery and ammunition.
Moscow will consider the presence of the British in Northern Norway as pretextual, since the base belongs to NATO, and it will also be used by the Americans in an area where there are Russian land borders.
Moscow’s first reaction will be to target the British base in Norway, and move elite Russian forces to the border, as the Russians fear future British-American operations inside Russian territory.
We remind you that despite suffering significant military losses in its conflict with Ukraine, Russia is expanding its military bases in the Arctic region.
Over the past ten years, as climate change has created new opportunities to navigate and explore the region’s riches, the West has increasingly scrutinized Russia’s Arctic ambitions. Instead, Moscow has expressed concern that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States threaten its position in the Arctic.
