On March 25, Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist visited the 2022 Cold Response exercise in Norway with other Nordic defense ministers. The exercises, mainly in northern Norway, will involve about 30,000 participants from 27 countries, including about 1,500 Swedish soldiers and officers.
Sweden participates with a number of ground units that together form a reduced brigade combat group that is organized alongside Finnish units. In addition, the Air Force participates with units from the Norbotten Air Fleet, the F-21, with JAS 39 Gripen. In total, about 150 soldiers and officers of the F 21 participated.
Sweden’s participation is aimed at strengthening our national defense capacity and increasing the overall ability of the armed forces to counter an armed attack on Sweden and our immediate region. Participation in the exercise is important for the continued development of cooperation with our close partners, with the Nordic countries and with NATO. Through exercises like this we are showing the resources we can mobilize if necessary, says Defense Minister Peter Holtqvist.
Sweden’s contribution to the cold response 2022
The Swedish participation in terms of ground units consists of about 1,500 soldiers and officers from the Norrbotten Regiment, Norland Dragon Regiment, Boden Artillery Regiment, Göta trängremente, Ledningsregementet, Livgardet, Försvarsmaktens Technical school, Försvarsmedicincentrum, Arméstaben and Markstrid.
The exercise is performed in a ground training area in several parts of Norway. The area of land exercises in Northern Norway extends from Narvik in the south to Finnmark in the north, but the main part of the exercises of the Swedish-Finnish Brigade Combat Team is carried out in Troms County.
For Sweden, this means that the exercise affects Swedish territory to some extent, partly through incoming and outgoing transfers of foreign units to the exercise, but also through smaller exercises conducted in northern Sweden.
It is carried out every two years
The cold response takes place in March every two years. In addition to Norway and Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Canada, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey and the United States are participating in the exercise.
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