Norway is arming itself against Russia: artillery and anti-aircraft defense in the Arctic

Norway is arming itself against Russia

“This is a completely different level of firepower than before”

Norway wants to be able to respond to any Russian threat. The military presence is therefore being expanded on the almost 200 kilometer long border with Russia.

The NATO member Norway on Thursday strengthened its military presence in the Arctic with the expansion of a brigade established last year. The Finnmark Brigade in the region on the Russian border will be expanded to include an artillery battalion, an anti-aircraft battery and a communications company.

“This is a completely different level of firepower than before,” brigade commander John Olav Fuglem told Reuters. “We will respond to any threat or attack on Norway and the NATO react. We will defend every inch,” Defense Minister Tore Sandvik added in the same interview.

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The upgrade means the force is able to fire on land targets around 40 kilometers away and coordinate attacks with aircraft and ships from the Norwegian armed forces and NATO. The Porsangmoen brigade site is approximately 180 kilometers from the 198-kilometer border Russia removed. The brigade is responsible for border surveillance. On the Russian side there is an important military area where, among other things, the Russian Northern Fleet is stationed.

The Russian embassy in Oslo initially did not comment on the Norwegian actions. The government in Moscow had in the past rejected allegations of posing a threat to NATO.

The Finnmark Brigade was set up last year as the country’s second brigade and the first since the end of the Cold War. Both Norwegian brigades have their headquarters in the Arctic. With the expansion, the country is reacting to the war in the Ukraine as well as the demand of US President Donald Trump after higher defense spending by European allies.

Like the other Nordic countries, Norway has also significantly increased its military budget. According to NATO figures, the country is spending an estimated 3.17 percent of its gross domestic product on defense this year, compared to 1.5 percent in 2014. This makes Norway one of the leaders in the Western military alliance in terms of economic power.