Northern Viking is an annual
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
exercise held in
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
. The exercises were held biennially until 2006 when the frequency was increased.
The purpose of the exercise is to test the capabilities of Iceland and its NATO allies, as well as increase the readiness of the forces involved and their inter-operability.
Northern Viking 2022
Several NATO member states participated in the exercises in 2022. The
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
, in a press release, described 2022's exercise as "a hunt for adversary submarines" and "visit, board, search and seizure missions on suspect vessels."
Participants
*
**
ICGV ''Þór''
*
**
USS ''Arlington''
**
CH-53E Sea Stallions
**
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) is one of seven Marine expeditionary unit, such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. They are ...
**
USS ''Kearsarge''
*
**
FS ''Latouche-Tréville''
*
**
HNoMS ''Thor Heyerdahl''
*
**
FGS ''Sachsen''
*
**
Royal Marine Commandos
The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a company strength sub-unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), landing craft cr ...
Northern Viking 2011
Northern Viking 2011 was held by the
Icelandic Coast Guard and the
United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
(USAFE). Among the training exercises were transport of troops to and from Iceland and air defence. The exercise also tested cooperation of naval and air assets in view of increasing importance arctic operations.
Participants
*
*
*
*
*
*
ICG: 3 offshore patrol vessels
*
USAF
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
:
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
fighters, 3
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
air-refueling planes
*
RNoAF:
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
fighters
*
AM:
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, supersonic, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Syste ...
fighters
*
RDN: 1
''Thetis''-class patrol vessel, 1
Lynx
A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
helicopter
Northern Viking 2008
Northern Viking 2008 was held by the Icelandic Defence Agency and the
United States European Command
The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven Unified Combatant Command, unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territori ...
(EUCOM). More than 400 foreign troops were deployed to Icelandic bases with aircraft and a Danish warship.
Participants
*
*
*
*
*
Operations
The exercise consisted of an air defence exercise and a maritime defence exercise.
Air defence exercise
*
ICG: 2
SAR-helicopters
*
USAF
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
: 4 fighters, 3
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
air-refueling planes
*
RNoAF: 5
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
fighters
*
RCAF
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canad ...
: 6
CF-18 fighters
*
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
: 2
E-3 AWACS planes
Maritime defence exercise
*
ICG: 1
''Ægir''-class offshore patrol vessel, 1 helicopter
*
RDN: 1
''Thetis''-class patrol vessel
*
USN: 2
P-3 Orion ASW aircraft
Northern Viking 2007
Northern Viking 2007 was held by the Icelandic MFA Office of Defence and the United States European Command (EUCOM). More than 240 foreign troops were deployed to Icelandic bases with aircraft and a Danish warship.
Participants
*
*
*
*
*
Operations
The exercise consisted of an air defence exercise and an anti-terrorist exercise.
Air defence exercise
*
ICG: 2 SAR-helicopters
*
USAF
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
: 3
F-15 fighters, 2
KC-135
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
air-refueling planes
*
RDN: 1
''Thetis''-class frigate
*
RNoAF: 2
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
fighters, 1
P-3 Orion ASW aircraft
*
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
: 2
E-3 AWACS planes
Anti-terrorist exercise
*: 15
VÃkingasveitin troops, 1 helicopter
*: 6
Jægerkorpset troops, 1 helicopter
*: 16
Latvian Special Tasks Unit troops
*: 20
Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK)
Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK) (English: Special Operations Commando) is a special operations forces, special operations force unit in the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The unit was established in 1982Monica RikollForsvarets spesialkommando feiret 5 ...
troops
References
{{Reflist
Varnaræfingin Norður VÃkingur 2008Varnaræfingin Norður VÃkingur 07
NATO military exercises
Defence of Iceland
2007 in Iceland
2008 in Iceland