Five north European nations are together conducting Exercise Mjølner 2026, a five-day live-fire serial off the coast of Norway involving about eight ships and 2,500 soldiers and sailors.
Military personnel and assets from Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands are joining the German-led exercise, which is operating out of the Royal Norwegian Navy base in Harstad.
Home to the Coastal Ranger Command, Harstad’s proximity to Arctic shipping lanes makes it a vital strategic hub for operations in the High North.
The exercise, which began on Monday and runs until Friday, focuses on continuous 24-hour training under realistic operational conditions at sea and on land.
The German Navy has sent five naval vessels: the frigates Sachsen-Anhalt and Hamburg, as well a replenishment ship, Bonn, and corvettes Braunschweig and Erfurt. The Norwegian frigate Fridtjof Nansen and the Danish frigates Iver Huitfeldt and Absalon are also taking part in the exercise.
As per a German Navy press statement, Mjølner 26 has been “deliberately designed outside of NATO and EU structures” and “complements existing collaborations by strengthening flexible, mission-oriented cooperation between military partners.”
It added: “Against the backdrop of the current security policy environment, close cooperation between European and NATO partners is becoming increasingly important. The northern flank, in particular — from the North Sea to the far north — is strategically vital, and its protection and surveillance must be ensured through close cooperation.”
- You can read more details on the German Navy website