(VOVWORLD) - The Finnish Armed Forces announced on Tuesday that around 25,000 troops from 14 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are participating in the Cold Response 2026 exercise in Finland, as well as in Norway and Sweden.
The exercise began on March 9 and is scheduled to run until the end of the month, showing NATO’s growing presence in Northern Europe under the newly launched Arctic Sentry initiative, aimed at responding to evolving security conditions and rising strategic interests in the Arctic region.
The exercise is led by Norway with participation from troops of 14 countries, including Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Belgium.
Norway described it as the largest military exercise the country is participating in in 2026.
As part of the drills, simulated combat operations on land and in the air are being conducted in northern Norway and northern Finland, while naval exercises are taking place off Norway’s coast.
According to the Norwegian Armed Forces, around 11,800 troops are training in Norway, while 7,500 infantry and other ground forces are participating in northern Finland, more than half of whom are from other countries.