Bergen, Norway — In the icy waters off Norway, NATO navies search the depths for secret Russian activity where Europe’s high north meets Russia’s Northern Fleet.
Nuclear-armed Russian submarines routinely depart the vast base on the Kola Peninsula, slipping beneath the waves toward the North Atlantic. NATO ships, submarines and aircraft practice detecting, tracking and, if necessary, neutralizing those subs before they reach the narrow route between Greenland, Iceland and the U.K. en route to the U.S. eastern seaboard. In a conflict between Russia and NATO, that area would be a strategic chokepoint.
CBS News joined a NATO warship participating in Operation Arctic Dolphin, a multinational drill that includes Spain, Germany, France, the U.K. and other partners. Commanders say exercises like this are essential to maintaining cohesion in an alliance now marking more than seven decades.
“Norway has the great advantage of being a part of such a huge alliance,” said Commodore Kyrre Haugen, commander of the Norwegian Fleet overseeing Arctic Dolphin. “But every nation is taking advantage of being a part of something that is bigger than themselves.” He noted Norway’s long Cold War experience in the Arctic and said the region’s renewed emphasis reflects its importance to European and U.S. security.
“Those missiles can attack Europe, can attack America by being deployed in the deep seas, all into the Atlantic,” he said, referring to Russia’s arsenal. NATO leaders describe the Arctic and the high north as a new front line for strategic competition; Russia is already using the region to test hypersonic missiles meant to evade U.S. air defenses.
Tensions have also risen between the U.S. and its allies. President Donald Trump angered partners by pushing for U.S. ownership of Greenland and threatening tariffs on allies that didn’t cooperate. He later backed off the tariff threat and announced a vaguely defined “ultimate long-term deal” with NATO partners over Greenland, but he has repeatedly criticized allies for not spending enough on defense and has publicly rebuked some members.
Seven of the eight Arctic states are NATO members, but Russia—holding more than half the Arctic coastline—has nearly as many permanently manned bases in the region as NATO countries combined. On the bridge of the Spanish frigate ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbón, Rear Admiral Joaquín Ruiz Escagedo defended Spain’s contribution amid Mr. Trump’s recent charge that Spain had not been “loyal” to the alliance.
“I’m not going to dig into political dynamics,” he said, gesturing to naval officers at maps and radar consoles. “But I would say the contribution of Spain, you can see here.” He stressed Spain’s capabilities and commitment to NATO’s collective defense principle.
“We cannot be isolated. The power of NATO is the unity,” Escagedo said. “That’s the success of NATO for decades.”
NATO is preparing a new initiative to strengthen its presence in the far north. 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 even further strengthen NATO’s posture in the Arctic and High North.” Details remain under development.
The idea for an Arctic Sentry emerged during diplomatic discussions tied to the Greenland dispute. Britain’s foreign secretary proposed working through NATO on a new Arctic sentry similar to the alliance’s Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry initiatives, regional security arrangements that bolster presence and cooperation. “This is now going to be a focus of work through NATO, with different Arctic countries coming together and supported by other NATO countries on how we do that shared security,” she told the BBC.
As NATO increases patrols, exercises and planning in the high north, the alliance is trying to close gaps in Arctic awareness and presence. For commanders on the scene, the goal is straightforward: maintain readiness, protect sea lanes and ensure that if a threat emerges from beneath the polar seas, NATO is prepared to detect, track and respond in concert.