Two killed in avalanche on Jan Mayen
February 1, 2021
Two of the 18 defense department personnel stationed on the remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen were killed over the weekend by an avalanche while out skiing. A third member of the group managed to dig himself out after two hours under the snow.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen and the chief of Norway’s defense forces, Eirik Kristoffersen, all sent their condolences following the unusual fatal accident that hit the small community hard. The victims were a woman in her 50s from Western Norway and a man in his 30s from Nordland who were both civilian defense employees.
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway has called off two military exercises involving primarily NATO troops in its Arctic region in order to contain the spread of t.
Norway cancels major exercise involving 1,000 US Marines amid coronavirus concerns
U.S. Marines move through the forest on a patrol during Exercise Reindeer II in Setermoen, Norway, in November 2020. The Marine Corps is assessing what to do with 1,000 Marines who are in Norway for a large training exercise which has been canceled amid concerns about an increase in coronavirus cases in the country. PATRICK KING/U.S. MARINE CORPS
By STARS AND STRIPES Published: January 27, 2021
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By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway has called off two military exercises involving primarily NATO troops in its Arctic region in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government said on Tuesday.
Around 3,400 foreign troops had been scheduled to take part in the Rein I and Joint Viking manoeuvres, including just over 1,000 from the United States and close to 1,000 Britons, Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen told a news conference.
As the northernmost European member of the NATO alliance, and sharing a border with Russia, Norway regularly trains its own troops alongside coalition forces to prepare them for winter warfare.
Corona cancels NATO exercise
January 26, 2021
NATO’s large annual winter exercise in Norway called “Joint Viking” was halted on Tuesday, because of what Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen called “a demanding infection situation” in the country. Many thought it never should have begun, since it involved the arrival of 3,000 soldiers from abroad in the midst of a pandemic.
All NATO soldiers taking part in the Joint Viking exercises were tested on arrival before going into quarantine, like here at Bardufoss. Now the entire winter exercise is being cancelled because of infection concerns in Norway as a whole. PHOTO: Forsvaret/Øyvind Baardsen