430
Arctic Yearbook 2014
Nunavut, in the extreme north of Canada, facing Greenland. To improve Arctic
training, a special Arctic training base was set up at Resolute Bay, Nunavut, in 2007
Denmark
incl.
Greenland
Norway
- the small Frømandskorps (frogman corps) special forces unit has a partly
Arctic role on Greenland. Denmark also maintains a small military patrol force on
Greenland, the Slædepatrulje Sirius (sledge patrol Sirius)
- Brigade Nord (Brigade North), is the largest active unit of the Norwegian Army. It is
winter-trained but is organized as a heavy mechanized unit and is equipped for
operations in Norway.
- in November 2011 the chief of defence recommended that the brigade’s 2 battalions
be reduced to 1
- in August 2009 the headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces moved from Jåttå
in the south of the country to Reitan, near Bodø, just north of the Arctic Circle, and
the headquarters of the Norwegian Army is even further north, in Bardufoss
Russia19
- ground forces include naval infantry and an army brigade on the Kola Peninsula.
These are winter-trained but are organized and equipped for operations in the north of
Russia, not in the more inhospitable regions of the Arctic.
- In March 2009 Russia announced a plan for a special military force to
protect Arctic interests. In May 2011 it was reported that Russia’s first Arctic special
forces brigade had been unveiled, based at Pechenga on the Kola Peninsula. According
to Russia, these forces ‘balance the situation’ with NATO forces in the Arctic. The
exact status of the Russian Arctic forces is unclear.
The US20
- the US has not yet announced plans for a separate command to supervise military
operations in the Arctic
- currently, the Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the Pacific Command
(USPACOM) and the European Command