Air With Ground:US and Norwegian Forces Exercise in the Arctic - plus a Vast Manoeuvre Coming Up

On 1 November 2021,Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters and two US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers exercised in the Arctic Region.The aircraft executed a joint targeting drill with Norwegian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) on the ground.This key Allied capability requires constant practise to optimise communications and procedures,Allied Air Command said.The mission also tested integration and interoperability between the advanced fighter platform F-35S and the supersonic B-1Bs.Noted Commander Allied Air Command,General Jeff Harrigian,US Air Force: Bomber Task Force missions optimise integration between NATO Allies while enhancing our response to threats throughout the Arctic.Combining fifth-generation assets with long-range strike capabilities strengthens our collective deterrence.* The F-35 offers unparalleled command and control for battlespace awareness.Coupled with the strategic range of the B-1B and the ability to employ mixed forces,the F-35s provide a spectrum of options for Allied commanders,Allied Air Command observed.* In 2022,Norwegian forces will lead a massive Arctic drill,Cold Response 2022.The Royal Norwegian Navy and Air Force will play the leading roles in CR 22,which will feature around 40,000 Allied troops.Indeed,it is to be the largest exercise inside the Arctic Circle since the 1980s,during the Cold War.The scenario of CR 22 is the reinforcement of Northern Norway in the Ofoten area,which is near Norway's Northern Brigade and several training areas used by NATO forces.Ofoten is considered to be strategically critical for the countering of a global crisis instigated by Russia.That is because it is only around 600 km/372.882 mi from Russia's nuclear submarines of its Northern Fleet,which is based on the Kola Peninsula. Russia will be invited to observe the drills,in accordance with international norms.On a number of occasions,however,Russia has conducted missile firings in the region with little advance warning,just suddenly posting a NOTAM notice of an air hazard zone.