U.S. bombers deployed to Norway

The U.S. has deployed long range bombers to Norway for the first time, increasing ties with Nordic states in response to expanding Russian military and economic activities in the Arctic


Four B-1B Lancer bombers conducting “tactical integration” with Norwegian F-35A and naval assets over Norwegian Sea


ATLANTIC OCEAN
Orland Air Base
SWEDEN
Baltic Sea
FINLAND
Moscow
ICELAND
NORWAY
Norwegian Sea
GREENLAND
DENMARK
Barents Sea
Sea ice extent
Sep 2020
North Pole
RUSSIA
CANADA 
ARCTIC OCEAN
Northern Sea Route
Arctic Circle
U.S. Alaskan Command
ALASKA 
U.S.
Bering Strait
PACIFIC OCEAN
400km 250 miles
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Russian Arctic bases
Airfield	Naval	Radar


Severomorsk
Northern Fleet HQ
Kola Peninsula
RUSSIA
100km 60 miles


RECENT MOVES

1 Mar 2020: Russia approves new 15-year Arctic strategy, paving way for further industrialization of region

2 Oct: Norway reopens Cold War-era Olavsvern base, near Tromso, to facilitate access to U.S., UK and French nuclear submarines

3 Nov: U.S. and Swedish forces conduct large exercises to prepare for hypothetical enemy attack
in Baltic Sea region

4 Jan 1, 2021: President Vladimir Putin officially upgrades Northern Fleet to status of military district

5 Feb 9-10: U.S. and Finnish air forces train on mid-air refuelling

6 Feb 17: U.S. agrees with Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to continue participation in biennial Arctic Challenge Exercise – one of Europe’s largest tactical air exercises – scheduled for June

7 Feb 22: U.S. B-1 bombers deployed to Norway

8 Mar: U.S. Army set to publish new Arctic strategy, with plans for creating new Arctic brigade and transforming Alaska command into operational headquarters


Sources: NATO, Stratfor, American Security Project, National Snow and Ice Data Center 
© GRAPHIC NEWS