Arctic Circle

Discuss current, historical or potential future deployments, as well the defence of the UK's overseas interests.
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SKB
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Arctic Circle

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(Forces TV) 13 May 2019
The Arctic is the northernmost point of Earth, a vast frozen desert largely made up of sea-ice. The region consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, the USA, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland. Rising temperatures are reducing sea ice and technological advances are making the once-impenetrable Arctic increasingly accessible. This greater accessibility is expected to prompt competition to claim the area's natural resources...

wargame_insomniac
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by wargame_insomniac »

On 29 March 2022 the MOD published a paper on UK's Defence Contribution to the High North: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _North.pdf

This article looks at the topic in more detail for RN:
https://www.navylookout.com/no-addition ... -strategy/

Sadly but not unexpectedly, this seems to be another area of additional demands on our armed forces without any additional expenditure to help satisfy it, as they are strecthed thinner and thinner.

It is possible that the projected future new MROSS might help, but until that project has been fully specced out we are none the wiser. It seems we are restricted to sending HMS Protector on the occasional trip to the High North during our summer / Antartic winter, with frigates and SSN already stretched to max astheir numbers drop.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

wargame_insomniac wrote: 28 Apr 2022, 19:03 On 29 March 2022 the MOD published a paper on UK's Defence Contribution to the High North: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _North.pdf
In it, these words can be read in many ways:
"build on the Mountain and Cold Weather Warfare expertise of our Commando Forces and comprise dedicated Commando Forces, ships, and helicopters optimised for operations in the High North. This Group will be able to operate alongside NATO and JEF Arctic partners in the High North"
but to me it reads like together with either,or both, and if and when needed, alone as a 'floating tripwire' adding to other forms of deterrence (faster than those other forms can be strengthened).
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Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
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wargame_insomniac
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by wargame_insomniac »

ArmChairCivvy wrote: 19 Jul 2022, 19:15
wargame_insomniac wrote: 28 Apr 2022, 19:03 On 29 March 2022 the MOD published a paper on UK's Defence Contribution to the High North: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _North.pdf
In it, these words can be read in many ways:
"build on the Mountain and Cold Weather Warfare expertise of our Commando Forces and comprise dedicated Commando Forces, ships, and helicopters optimised for operations in the High North. This Group will be able to operate alongside NATO and JEF Arctic partners in the High North"
but to me it reads like together with either,or both, and if and when needed, alone as a 'floating tripwire' adding to other forms of deterrence (faster than those other forms can be strengthened).
As others have noted before, it would be interesting to see how Sweden and Finland joining NATO affects RN / RM strategy in the High North. Having LRG(N) operate off Norwegian coast with support from UK CSG and/or UK based aircraft feels less risk than trying to do the same in say the Baltics in / near the Kalingrad Anti Area / Access Denial bubble.

I guess that still leaves the lesser possibility of having to deploy RM to Greenland or Iceland or even Svalbard if the Russians were to threaten with a small raiding force.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

wargame_insomniac wrote: 19 Jul 2022, 20:41 or even Svalbard if the Russians were to threaten with a small raiding force.
Folks may remember the GPS jamming in the High North during Zapad 2017 (which was not repeated during the next one)? Well, how come Norway, in the same year, deviated from the policy of no foreign troops on its soil permanently? For heavens sake, US Marines of "all things" - and requested an increase in numbers the following year.
- the simulated invasion of Svalbard, by Russia, using its own islands, was not an affair of a small raiding party AKA Ice Stn ZEBRA
- why was it not widely reported? Err, NATO analysed the scenario and found little in the way of relevant response options. Needless to say that the situation has been changing since then; at the same time, it was only weeks ago when the Speaker (really acts like one, unlike the Speaker in the UK who 'presides' and facilitates) of the Russian Duma said that the sea border agreement with Norway should be [???] torn up.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Looked back into the above-linked March 2022 paper, and the ten-year plan must be counting from that date (not from 2017, when the planning got a new focus; otherwise the ship contributions highlighted would be hard pressed to make it into the defined time envelope):

"Developing CapabilityDeveloping Commando Forces and Joint Helicopter Command cold weather warfare interoperability with Norwegian and United States units in Norway is an important High North-focused partnership. It is underpinned by a 10-year plan that generates, prepared, and develops environmental capabilities to operate in the region and support Norwegian crisis planning (Project HEIMDALL). Royal Marines co-operation with Dutch counterparts has the potential to expand the number of participating forces to four. In addition to cold weather warfare training in Norway, the UK will seek to take advantage of further invitations and conduct cold weather training in Canada, Finland, and the United States on a regular basis. In support of these capabilities, UK Defence will examine options to bolster its cold weather capability to ensure that Arctic-appropriate equipment, activity, environmental support, and infrastructure are all developed andmaintained. The Royal Navy has the capability to projectforce using a variety of assets in the High North, dependent on the location, season, and threat, including Littoral capabilities. The Defence Command Paper announced major investments in a new generation of Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates and support shipping, enabling us to project UK force into the High North"
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

Jackstar
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by Jackstar »

The first British soldiers have already arrived in Troms, northern Norway. Photo: Royal Marines
British troops deploy to northern Norway ahead of huge NATO Arctic exercise
Nordic Response 2024 will be NATO’s biggest Arctic exercise in a generation.

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/secur ... c-exercise

Repulse
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Re: Arctic Circle

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Jackstar wrote: 15 Jan 2024, 06:12 The first British soldiers have already arrived in Troms, northern Norway. Photo: Royal Marines
British troops deploy to northern Norway ahead of huge NATO Arctic exercise
Nordic Response 2024 will be NATO’s biggest Arctic exercise in a generation.

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/secur ... c-exercise
How did they get there without the LPDs?
”We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

Caribbean
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Re: Arctic Circle

Post by Caribbean »

Repulse wrote: 15 Jan 2024, 07:54 How did they get there without the LPDs?
They walked, obviously - they are Marines, after all ;)
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