Weather conditions are harsh at the site and are expected to get worse. The fate of the four who were on board the military machine is not known. The Norwegian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the aircraft took part in the NATO Cold Response exercises, media reported.
The crew of four set out from Bodo on a training mission.
Cold Response maneuvers are taking place with the participation of NATO in the Arctic
30,000 soldiers from 27 countries, including 23 NATO member states, also from Poland, have taken part in Cold Response exercises since the beginning of the week. The exercises are taking place in the Arctic part that belongs to Norway. The exercises, which are intended to simulate the defense of Norway as part of the transatlantic cooperation, assume the use of the so-called NATO spearman. Interestingly, Russia did not accept the invitation as an observer.
The theater of operations will be the ground training ground north of Narvik, the coast of Norway and the airspace of that country. Originally, the maneuvers were supposed to take place last year, but the coronavirus pandemic forced a change of plans.
Cold Response exercises take place every two years in Norway in winter conditions. The project is combined with the NATO exercises “Great Leap”.
