Doing battle in the Arctic presents challenges to service members and equipment. NATO’s Joint Viking exercise prepares forces for the harsh conditions they encounter while protecting the Alliance’s northern flank.
Joint Viking 2025 took place during the first two weeks of March in northern Norway, known for its challenging terrain and frigid temperatures. United States Marines and U.S. Army Soldiers joined counterparts from other countries to participate in exercises aimed at enhancing their ability to fight and win in extreme, cold weather conditions and enhance interoperability among NATO Allies.
Joint Viking is the largest military exercise to take place in Norway in 2025, according to a Norwegian Armed Forces news release. Around 10,000 troops from nine nations participated: Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The Norwegian Army and the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery NATO winter instructors led the exercise.
“This training allows Soldiers to build the skills and knowledge to thrive out here, instead of just surviving,” 1st Lt. Ian Whittington, a NATO winter instructor and battalion ammunition officer, said in a U.S. Army news release. “It allows us to not worry about the cold, but to just march on and operate.”
The main activity took place in Troms County in northern Norway, and some maneuvers were conducted in the air and at sea, according to the Norwegian Armed Forces. Forces also trained at the Tarva firing range in central Norway.
Joint Viking 25 enabled the II Marine Expeditionary Force rehearse the rapid force generation and trans-Atlantic deployment of a regimental-sized element to respond to a crisis. The U.S. Army’s 41st Field Artillery Brigade demonstrated its ability to employ long-range precision fires supporting joint operations during the exercise.
“Joint Viking is an important exercise for us and our Allied participants’ ability to work well together,” said Maj. Gen. Gjert Lage Dyndal, deputy commander at the Norwegian Joint Headquarters. “Training together in all domains gives us good insight and experience in what works and where we need to develop further to strengthen the defense of Norway and NATO’s interests in the north.”
Participants began rigorous training for the exercise in January 2025, learning cold weather injury prevention, arctic terrain analysis, cold weather maintenance and improvised shelter construction. Service members also participated in an arctic driver’s training course, where U.S. Soldiers learned from their Norwegian counterparts how to operate military vehicles safely across icy and snow-covered terrain, a critical skill for moving artillery and personnel where they are needed most during battle.
Training for Joint Viking 25 concluded with a “polar plunge,” where Soldiers and Marines jumped through a hole in the ice in a lake with a heavy rucksack to test their physical and mental endurance in the freezing Arctic waters.
“Bringing our Allies together in arenas like this has become even more important in light of today’s uncertain security situation,” Dyndal said. “They come back almost annually to do this, and this training ensures our Allies’ ability to support us when needed.”