Features and Perspectives of NATO`s Strategic Penetration into the Arctic: The Norwegian Dimension

Abstract

Military-strategic penetration into the Arctic is becoming one of the key attributes of global capability for influential international players. The point applies not only to the most powerful states, but also to NATO as main keeper of military tools of the West. The article tries to identify and explore the scheme of NATO`s strategic penetration into the Arctic Ocean. It is noted that the role of its support is assigned to Norway, the reasons for the consensus on this issue between the United States and the leading NATO member states in Western Europe are identified. The paper assesses the strengths of Norway’s armed forces and identifies the bottlenecks that require support from NATO partners as they attempt multilateral penetration into the Arctic. Functionally, the Alliance’s anchoring scheme consists of three main elements. The first one is a section of the Russian Federation’s “containment” system in Finnmark. Here, the key role is assigned to the main forces of Norwegian troops with the practice of their operational reinforcement by the troops of NATO partners. In turn, the latter are ready to take an increased load in strengthening the second element. This is the coastline from Trondheim in the south to Tromsø, with the support of bases on which the strategic penetration into the Arctic Ocean (the third element) is carried out. This is ensured by the growing co-operation between the Norwegian Navy and interested NATO member states.