British-Norwegian maneuvers

The drills are taking place from April 28 to May 14. The participating units will train joint operations between surface and air forces, conduct maneuvers in fjords and coastal zones, and practice the use of unmanned systems. The exercise features Wildcat helicopters, Skjold-class corvettes, and the frigate Fridtjof Nansen. In addition, a newly established British unit equipped with reconnaissance drones is taking part.

“Training in Norway’s fjords and coastal areas strengthens both Norway’s readiness and our collective defence capabilities. Our cooperation with the United Kingdom and the Royal Navy is already very close,” noted Commodore Kyrre Haugen, Commander of the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The maneuvers are a response to Russian activities in the region. In early April, London and Oslo reported joint monitoring of Russian submarines operating in the North Atlantic. Intelligence services identified a Russian nuclear-powered Akula-class submarine and vessels linked to the Russian GUGI agency. According to Norwegian and British sources, the detected—and reportedly thwarted—operation aimed to survey undersea cable and pipeline connections on the seabed of the North Sea. Officially, GUGI (Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research) conducts deep-sea research, but Western analyses suggest it is responsible for covert underwater operations.

These are not the only Russian activities in the area. For several weeks, Norway has been warning about increasing GPS and radio communication disruptions in the country’s north. There has also been a rise in the activity of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and growing concerns over potential sabotage of undersea infrastructure.

Parallel to Tamber Shield ’26, the Aurora ’26 exercises are being held in Sweden, involving around 18,000 troops from 13 countries. The maneuvers are taking place in southern Sweden and on the island of Gotland.