Britain announces new military base in Norway’s far north

The UK has announced the opening of a military base in the far north of Norway as a hub for Royal Marine Commandos to bolster NATO capabilities in the Arctic amid concerns over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The newly established Norwegian campsite, called Camp Viking, is located about 65 kilometers south of Tromso, near the village of Øverbygd.

The purpose-built base will house all personnel of the elite commando-led Royal Marines force responding to emerging crises in Europe.

Britain’s Royal Navy described the troops as ‘the tip of the Arctic spear’ and ‘the unit the UK turns to when it needs troops that can fight in extreme cold weather’.

The commandos are building on a legacy of Arctic warfare dating back to World War II, but with the reemergence of the High North as a major theater, they needed new facilities for a modern era, the statement said.

“The location of the camp is ideal for deterring threats in the region and it is situated so that the UK can respond quickly if necessary to protect NATO’s northern flank and its closest ally, Norway,” said a statement from the Royal Navy on Wednesday.

“The camp is strategically located next to a Norwegian Armed Forces base and close to the established air base in Bardufoss where the Commando Helicopter Force operates,” it added.

The Commando Helicopter Force is the specialist aviation support for Royal Marines.

A new Arctic base of operations will support British commands for the next 10 years as the UK underlines its commitment to security in the High North.

Norway, which borders Russia, refuses to house permanent bases for foreign soldiers, so Camp Viking will only remain open for ten years.

Around 1,000 commandos have been deployed to the base this winter, which houses all UK Littoral Response Group (LRG) personnel.

‘As the British Command Forces’ ‘home’ in the High North for the next decade, ‘Camp Viking’ is the focal point for the delivery of Mountain and Cold Weather Warfare training and, strategically placed as a Forward Operating Base to support NATO operations to support,” said Major Kirk Allen, commander of the Winter Deployment.

Its use supports the regional sustained engagement of the Littoral Response Group with key allies and partners as a collective conventional deterrent to adversaries.

Major Allen said the base was ‘capable of logistically supporting an LRG of Royal Marines, sailors and soldiers’ and the location offers opportunities for training in local areas and for ‘amphibious operations’.

“It is impressive that Norway continues to invest in the site and its ability to support commando forces and wider British defense will only increase.”

The newly established Norwegian campsite, called Camp Viking, is located about 40 miles south of Tromso, near the village of Øverbygd (shown on this map)

Britain’s Royal Navy described the troops as “the tip of the Arctic spear” and “the unit the UK turns to when it needs troops capable of fighting in extreme cold weather conditions”

Norway, which shares a 60-mile border with Russia, has supplied Ukraine with a wide variety of military equipment, including artillery and ammunition.

The conflict in Ukraine led its neighbors Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership in May 2022, turning the page on the policy of military non-alignment that has been in place for decades.

Under Article 5 of its founding treaty, NATO and its members see that ‘an armed attack against any one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be regarded as an attack against all of them’.

This means that all members are expected to send forces in support of any NATO country under attack by an enemy state, as a deterrent to any hostile country considering aggression against its members.