Finnish Marines and Nyland Brigade Arrive in Norway (Nordic Response 24)

Allied marines have landed in Norway for exercise Nordic Response 2024, which is part of Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO’s largest military drills in decades. In the fjords near Alta, one of Norway’s northernmost cities, Finnish Marines with the Nyland Brigade came ashore via Swedish Navy CB90 assault boats. They then skied through steep hills and dense forests, proving their ability to conduct amphibious operations regardless of climate or terrain. Marines from Italy and France also participated in the landings. North of Alta, US Marines with the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Marine Regiment (1/2) moved deeper into the austere landscape, using tracked vehicles and snowmobiles to quickly move through the deep snow. These US Marines spent a month preparing for the challenging weather at the training grounds near Setermoen, where Norwegian soldiers have helped US Marines prepare for arctic combat for more than five years. Exercise Nordic Response 2024 gathers 20,000 troops from 13 NATO Allies in northern Norway to train together in the harsh arctic environment. It is part of Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO’s biggest exercise in decades.