Chancellor and Defence Minister visit the Army in northern Norway

The exercise area north of the Arctic Circle is characterised by cold, snow and long distances. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius visited the NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise Cold Response 2026 here on 13 March. During the visit, they gained a first-hand impression of how the troops exercise national and collective defence in arctic conditions.

Norway is hosting the exercise series and regularly organises Cold Response in its northern region. In 2026, thousands of troops from several nations exercised together in and around Bardufoss.

“This is another area where the Bundeswehr is defending Germany,” Merz said on the sidelines of the exercise. The Chancellor pointed out that commanders and partners had explicitly praised the training level of the German troops. He thanked the forces participating in Cold Response 2026: “It’s good that you’re here. I wish you a safe and healthy return home.”

The Arctic’s relevance in terms of security policy is increasing. The High North is an access point to the North Atlantic and therefore important for trade routes and lines of communication between North America and Europe. At the same time, strategic competition in the region is increasing. For NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization, this means: strengthening its presence, consolidating procedures, and ensuring the ability to take action, particularly in extreme conditions.

Exercise covers transport, supply and command activities

In addition, Cold Response 2026 is part of the enhanced Vigilance Activity ‘Arctic Sentry’. This is the framework under which NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization coordinates measures for increased vigilance in the High North. The objective is to strengthen deterrence and defence across all domains. In this respect, the exercise provides the practical element: moving forces into areas, exercising procedures and testing their sustainability in a climate that does not allow routine.  

The Bundeswehr is contributing Army and Air Force elements. The main focus is on units of 23 Mountain Infantry Brigade, 30 Transport Helicopter Regiment, and 1 Long-Range Reconnaissance Company. The exercise features interaction that is particularly important in winter: safe movement through terrain, airmobile deployment, and supply and command activities in cold conditions with limited visibility.

The joint visit of the Chancellor and the Defence Minister underlines the political significance of the exercise. Cold Response 2026 stands for visible Alliance solidarity and for the ambition to practice national and collective defence in realistic conditions, also in the High North.