Norway to host NATO’s largest winter warfare exercise
The Norwegian Armed Forces, the U.S. Marine Corps, and other NATO allies will convene in northern Norway for Exercise Joint Viking 25, scheduled for March 2025.
This large-scale winter warfare training operation will test the readiness and interoperability of allied forces under extreme Arctic conditions.
Joint Viking 25 is one of the largest routine winter warfare exercises held in the region, providing realistic scenarios to refine cold-weather combat operations. Preparation began in January, with allied units conducting cold-weather training to acclimatize and develop skills in navigating northern Norway’s rugged terrain.
The exercise will include small-unit tactics, defensive operations, and logistics coordination, as well as force integration drills aimed at strengthening collective defense capabilities.
The U.S. Marine Corps will play a central role in the exercise, with forces from II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) deploying from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This deployment will demonstrate the Marine Corps’ ability to mobilize a regimental-sized force rapidly across the Atlantic to respond to a crisis.
The exercise underscores the strategic importance of the Arctic to NATO and the role of the Marine Corps in bolstering NATO’s northern flank.
NATO allies, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Finland, will contribute forces to the exercise, further enhancing the alliance’s interoperability and readiness. Their participation reinforces NATO’s commitment to the defense of its member territories and collective security in the Arctic region.
