From Alaska to Northern Norway: Will Practice Rapid Deployment of US Paratroopers
U.S. Army Soldiers from the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division jump from a C-17 transport aircraft. (Photo: Spc. Wyatt Moore / U.S. Army).
Next week, US Army soldiers will fly over the North Pole from Alaska to Norway and conduct an airborne jump onto a frozen lake in the north. The operation is part of the Arctic Shock exercise, which follows the large-scale military exercise Nordic Response.
Next Monday, soldiers from the U.S. Army will fly over the North Pole from Alaska to Northern Norway and conduct an airborne jump onto a frozen lake in the inner parts of Troms County.
The exercise near Bardufoss in Northern Norway demonstrates the ability of the U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the U.S. Army Pacific to rapidly deploy forces from one region of the world to another on short notice, U.S. Army Europe and Africa states in a press release.
The operation is part of the exercise Arctic Shock, which takes place between 18 and 22 March. This limited exercise follows in the extension of the large-scale military exercise Nordic Response, which concludes on Friday.
Practicing rapid deployment of forces
Kommandérsersjant Rolf Ytterstad, talsperson i Hæren. (Foto: Forsvaret)
Around 150 soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division in the US Army will conduct the airborne operation over the North Pole and the consecutive parachute jump at Bardufoss.
The division is based in Alaska and is referred to as the US Army's Arctic force.
Furthermore, the 2nd Batallion of Norway's Brigade Nord will receive and train together with the paratroopers from the U.S.
"The Arctic Shock exercise precisely demonstrates the American ability and willingness to rapidly deploy land forces from the air into Northern Norway with a subsequent "link-up" with Norwegian units on the ground. This can, of course, be done in other places as well, if necessary," writes Senior Chief Petty Officer Rolf Ytterstad, spokesperson in the Army.
Norwegian soldier participates
Ytterstad explains to High North News that a Norwegian Sergeant with a paratrooper background from compulsory military service, now working in the 2nd Batallion, Brigade Nord, at Skjold, has traveled to Alaska and will jump with the Americans.
"He has been there for nearly two weeks, training with the 11th Airborne Division."
The article continues below.
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Alaska's strategic location
In a recent interview with High North News, Major General Brian Eifler, Commanding General of the 11th Airborne Division, said exercises such as Arctic Shock are particularly important for the cooperation with other Arctic allies like Norway.
"We value the chance to work with our Allies in the Norwegian Armed Forces and to learn advanced cold-weather warfare techniques from their vast experience while demonstrating our own growing Arctic professionalism," Major General Eifler further states in the press release and adds:
"This type of exercise shows, once again, Alaska's strategic location in the world and the 11th Airborne Division's strategic value to the Army and the nation."
Back in Norway
US paratroopers from Alaska trained with Norwegian forces in Northern Norway for the first time back in 2022.
"We have made significant strides each year since then – as we continue to build our capacity. In March, we will see a great demonstration of that," said Command Sergeant of the 11th Airborne Division Major Vern B. Daley to HNN recently.
Arctic Shock and Nordic Response
Exercise Arctic Shock is a sub-exercise of Nordic Response in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Both of these are
associated exercises of NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Defender, the Alliance’s largest exercise in decades, which takes place across several regions and months.
Steadfast Defender demonstrates NATO’s ability to rapidly deploy forces from North America and other parts of the Alliance to reinforce the defense of Europe.
Short notice exercises such as Arctic Shock help ensure participants are ready to respond to real-world contingencies with little or no advance notice.
Source: US Army Europe and Africa
