The yearly Arctic Dolphin maneuvers ended off the Norwegian coast. Training on, among others, the fight against submarines gathered ships, submarines, aircraft and helicopters from respective NATO states. The fresh submarine commanders were besides certified. Representatives of the Polish Army participated in the planning and implementation of the operation.
In exercises “Arctic Dolphin In addition to the Norwegian Navy, units took part in the ‘26’ moving from 2 to 13 February. NATO Permanent Ship squad Group 1 (Standing NATO Maritime Group – SNMG1). It is 1 of 2 permanent NATO ship teams, which include selected destroyers and frigates of the Alliance associate states. – SNMG1's participation in the Arctic Dolphin ‘26’ is peculiarly crucial as it underlines the Alliance's commitment to maintaining a credible and lasting presence in the Far North. It besides provides valuable opportunities for joint training with many NATO allies," said kmdr Kyrre Haugen, commander of the Norwegian fleet.
The hosts at the training, held in the areas of Bjørnafjorden, Sognesjøen and Sognefijorden, represented among others the frigate of KNM ‘Thor Heyerdahl’ (F314) and the Ula submarine, which practiced with crews of frigates, aircraft (including P-8 sea patrols) and helicopters from Germany, France, Spain and large Britain. Danish Seahawk helicopters besides participated in the Arctic Dolphin ‘26’.
Representatives of the armed forces of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and large Britain took part in the planning and implementation of the operation. In addition, Canadian and U.S. sailors were boarded on a Norwegian submarine to gain experience in Arctic operations and exchange anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) tactics.
"The Arctic Dolphin '26 exercise gave NATO naval forces an invaluable chance to work together at sea in a realistic and demanding environment, which allowed us to improve our tactical skills in combating submarines," he said. Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo of the Spanish Navy, commander of SNMG1.
He besides thanked Norway for organising the exercises and for their leadership and sharing expertise in the safety of the Arctic. "The time spent at sea is the embodiment of NATO's mission to deterrence and defence, and it confirms that we are indeed stronger together as allies," he added. Escagedo.
The key nonsubjective of the exercise was to certify fresh submarine commanders who practiced avoiding detection by Allied submarines and aircraft. “The Arctic Dolphin ‘26’ provided high-quality realistic training for both submarine crews and future commanders”, said Norwegian captain Jim Robertsen. He added that conducting underwater operations together with key allies is essential both for certification of commanders and for strengthening interoperability and cooperation within NATO.
Another crucial aspect of the Arctic Dolphin ‘26’ was the concentration of NATO forces on the strategically crucial GIUK Pass (the area between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom), which is the gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. MARCOM (Nato Marine Force Command) notes that training in this region strengthens the Alliance's readiness to defend maritime communication routes and keep maritime safety in the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea.