U.Okay. to double troops in Norway to defend in opposition to ‘rising’ Russian risk

Britain introduced Wednesday (February 11, 2026) it’ll enhance its troops stationed in Norway and play a “very important” position in a NATO Arctic Mission in face of “rising Russian threats”.

The U.Okay.’s determination to double its troops in Norway from 1,000 to 2,000 within the subsequent three years comes because the U.S. was set to relinquish two high regional NATO command posts to press allies to take better duty for his or her defence.

“Arctic and Excessive North safety might be strengthened in opposition to rising Russian threats as Britain steps up its presence within the area,” the U.Okay. Ministry of Defence mentioned in a press release.

Defence Secretary John Healey is about to substantiate on a go to to a U.Okay. navy web site in northern Norway that British forces might be concerned in NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission to bolster safety within the area.

European members of the transatlantic alliance have scrambled to spice up defences within the area after U.S. President Donald Trump used alleged threats from Russia and China to justify his repeated threats to grab Greenland.

“Defence calls for are rising, and Russia poses the best risk to Arctic and Excessive North safety that we’ve seen because the Chilly Conflict,” Mr. Healey mentioned in a press release. Diplomats confirmed over the weekend that Washington would hand over management of its Norfolk command, specializing in the alliance’s north, to Britain.

The U.Okay. and Norway final December signed a brand new defence pact that will see their navies collectively function a warship fleet to “hunt Russian submarines” within the North Atlantic. That settlement aimed to guard important undersea infrastructure equivalent to communications cables, which Western officers say are more and more underneath risk from Moscow.

Oslo additionally introduced final yr the acquisition of at the least 5 Kind-26 frigates from Britain for £10 billion ($13 billion). In 2023, the U.Okay. opened a brand new navy base known as Camp Viking within the far north of Norway, which serves as a hub for Britain’s Royal Marines. Britain is planning to guide a Joint Expeditionary Power (JEF) of northern European and Baltic nations in “main navy exercise” in September.

The train known as “Lion Protector” will see “air, land, and naval forces from JEF nations prepare to guard important nationwide infrastructure from assaults and sabotage.” A cross-party delegation of United States senators visited Greenland on Monday (February 9, 2026) to “rebuild the belief” shattered by Mr. Trump’s threats to annex the Danish territory, the lawmakers mentioned.