Marines arrive in Norway as part of new agreement

About 150 Royal Marines from Somerset have been deployed in Norway as part of the UK's new agreement with the country.

Taunton's 40 Commando arrived in Norway's Camp Viking last week for the first time since 2020 as part of the long-standing commitment to cold weather warfare.

It comes against the backdrop of the Lunna House Agreement, which was signed in December. The deal is designed to protect undersea cables - which are increasingly under threat from Moscow, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The 40 Commando will operate from allied ships and landing craft, training to be ready for potential combat in the one of the world's most inhospitable environments.

Overall, the UK is deploying 1,500 personnel, 150 of whom are from Taunton.

The MoD reported a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters in the past two years, which prompted the new agreement.

The UK Commando Force established an operations hub - known as Camp Viking - in 2023, located in the village of Øverbygd.

The commandos will operate across the coastlines and mountains of Northern Norway, taking part in Exercise Cold Response, the largest military exercises in the country in 2026, "which will demonstrate the unity of NATO and the ability of the alliance to deter threats in the high north", the Royal Navy said.

Lieutenant Colonel Chris Armstrong, the commanding officer of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, said: "As NATO's cold-weather specialists, we are ruthlessly focussed on mission rehearsals with our closest partners.

"Fusing intelligence, bold commando tactics, and cutting-edge technology – we remain poised for operations."

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