The Arctic Debrief: NATO kicks off major Arctic exercise as US support becomes uncertain

In this edition:

• NATO kicks off major Arctic exercise as US support becomes uncertain
• Finland releases oil tanker Eagle-S, detains crew members due to investigation
• UK and US make advances in unmanned naval capabilities

Latest Developments

NATO kicks off major Arctic exercise as US support becomes uncertain

A NATO war games scenario exercise, which involves around 10,000 soldiers from various allied nations, has begun in the northern Norwegian city of Troms. The exercise, titled Joint Viking, will simulate a Russian invasion of northern Norway where the US army and other allies deploy to assist the NATO member.

Troops from the U.S. Marine Corps' expeditionary force are a major participant in the exercise, which includes soldiers from Norway, Finland, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The focus of the training is to practice rapid force generation and trans-Atlantic deployment of a regimental-sized force in response to a conflict. Further, the transnational units will look to practice how to employ long-range precision fires in support of joint operations and improve interoperability and joint operational capabilities.

This comes amidst a rapidly developing geopolitical landscape where U.S. President Donald Trump, in a matter of weeks, has pushed Russian interests, stopped military aid to Ukraine, and floated the idea of withdrawing the U.S. Army out of Europe.

Although no concrete steps have been taken by the Trump administration to remove troops from NATO allied nations, European leaders have taken steps to reduce Europe's reliance on U.S. military support and the American defence industry.

Finland releases oil tanker Eagle-S, detains crew members due to investigation

The Russian-linked Eagle-S oil tanker, which was boarded and detained by Finland's Coast Guard in late December 2024, has been released. The vessel and its crew were held by Finnish authorities due to suspicions that it damaged communication cables between Finland and Estonia.

The ship was allowed to leave after the companies whose cables were damaged decided to drop charges due to high costs associated with the case. However, three crew members remain in custody as Finland continues its investigation into the incident.

The three members are subject to a travel ban and cannot leave Finland as the investigation continues to determine if the damage caused to the cable was an intentional act of sabotage. Meanwhile, NATO allies have come together and agreed to patrol their collective waters to prevent future such incidents; the action is dubbed "Baltic Sentry."

UK and US make advances in unmanned naval capabilities

The U.K. and U.S. have announced progress in separate projects that focus on developing unmanned naval assets. Both countries are preparing to conduct first tests of their technology beginning this month.

American company Serco has launched the USX-1 Defiant, an unmanned surface vessel prototype. The 180-foot-long, 240-ton vessel was designed to be able to function without any onboard crew.

The ship is fully autonomous, and it is capable of carrying much larger payloads by removing numerous facilities that would traditionally be mandatory to house its crew. The USX-1 Defiant is equipped with 16 strike-length Mark 41 missile cells.

The U.K. has begun testing its CETUS autonomous submarine. The sub is currently capable of operating for about five days, but the duration can be extended.

In addition to the obvious advantages of autonomous naval systems, these vessels address a pressing issue that western militaries are facing, which is recruitment. Many NATO nations do not have mandatory military service and as such are facing increased challenges to fulfill necessary manpower. Some allies have vessels that are undermanned or are unused due to a lack of personnel.