Bergen, Norway — In the icy waters off Norway, NATO ships, submarines and aircraft comb the depths for covert Russian activity where Europe’s far north meets the Northern Fleet.
Nuclear-armed submarines routinely sail from the vast Kola Peninsula base and vanish beneath the waves toward the North Atlantic. NATO units practice detecting, tracking and, if needed, neutralizing those vessels before they can reach the narrow sea lane between Greenland, Iceland and the U.K. — a chokepoint en route to the U.S. eastern seaboard that would be critical in any Russia-NATO confrontation.
CBS News embedded with a NATO warship taking part in Operation Arctic Dolphin, a multinational exercise that includes Spain, Germany, France, the U.K. and other partners. Commanders say drills like this are vital to keeping the alliance cohesive after more than seven decades of collective defense.
“Norway has the great advantage of being part of such a huge alliance,” said Commodore Kyrre Haugen, who oversees Arctic Dolphin for the Norwegian Fleet. He pointed to Norway’s Cold War experience in the Arctic and said the renewed focus reflects the region’s strategic importance to European and American security.
Allies worry not only about submarines but also about new Russian capabilities. NATO officials describe the high north as a fresh front in strategic competition as Moscow uses the region to test systems such as hypersonic missiles that aim to evade Western defenses.
Relations within the alliance have been strained in recent years. President Donald Trump provoked partners with a bid to buy Greenland and floated tariffs on allies that didn’t align with U.S. demands, before backing off and announcing a vaguely described “ultimate long-term deal” over Greenland. He has repeatedly criticized NATO members for insufficient defense spending and publicly rebuked some governments.
Strategically, the Arctic landscape favors Russia in many respects. Seven of the eight Arctic states are NATO members, but Russia controls more than half the Arctic coastline and maintains nearly as many permanently manned bases across the region as NATO countries combined.
On the bridge of the Spanish frigate ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón, Rear Admiral Joaquín Ruiz Escagedo pointed to the ship’s radar screens and personnel as evidence of Spain’s commitment to the alliance, responding to recent accusations about loyalty. “We cannot be isolated. The power of NATO is unity,” he said, stressing collective defense and Spain’s operational contribution.
NATO is also moving to formalize a stronger northern posture. A spokesperson for Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, confirmed planning has begun for “Arctic Sentry,” described as an enhanced vigilance activity to strengthen NATO’s presence in the Arctic and High North. Full details are still being developed.
The Arctic Sentry concept surfaced amid diplomatic talks tied to the Greenland dispute, after Britain’s foreign secretary suggested a NATO-led sentry modeled on existing Baltic and Eastern Sentry initiatives. The idea is for Arctic states and other NATO members to coordinate presence and surveillance to close gaps in regional awareness.
As patrols, exercises and planning expand in the high north, commanders emphasize a simple objective: maintain readiness, protect key sea lanes and ensure that if a threat emerges from beneath the polar seas, NATO can detect, track and respond together.