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'Cold Response' is the name given to two different NATO exercises held in Norway. The first one was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006. Around 10 000 soldiers from 11 nations participated. It was a national Norwegian exercise with all NATO states invited to participate, and was held again in March 2007.

Contents

Cold Response 2006

Operations

Participants

Scenario

Fatal Accident

External links

The 2006 exercise

The 2007 exercise

Cold Response 2006

Operations

Several of the operations were along the coast in the borders between sea and land, and together with roads and populated areas. Surveillance, patrols, road control posts, vehicle inspection, control of air space, minesweeping, evacuation of civilians and riot control were important part of the exercise. Being a winter exercise, it puts an extra challenge in doing all this under harsh weather conditions.

Participants

Among the participants were; the Norwegian Telemark Battalion, a thousand soldiers from the Norwegian National Guard, the Norwegian Airforce's 339 Squadron and 720 Squadron, most of the Norwegian Navy's available forces. 3,000 soldiers from the British 3 Commando Brigade, which gained their annual winter training by taking part in the exercise, 800 French mountain special forces, and 2000 Swedish soldiers. Smaller units from the Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Switzerland, USA, Finland, Spain, Denmark and Canada.

Scenario

After an earthquake in the fictional country of Asando, an armed conflict by extremists and separation-groups against government forces erupts. The security council approves a resolution to allow NATO to take control of the situation. A peacekeeping force was assigned to help settle the conflict.

Fatal Accident

During the exercise, the 16th of March, a four-man operated Leopard 2 tank sank into a bog at Veggfjell in Northern Norway. Two of the soldiers were able to make their way out, while two grenadiers (''professional soldiers, not conscripts'') died in the accident.

External links

The 2006 exercise

★ Cold Response's official page (In Norwegian)

★ The third edition of The International Cold Express, the official newspaper of the exercise

The 2007 exercise

★ http://www.mil.no/languages/english/start/article.jhtml?sourceID=536418&source=ftd - Cold Response 2007