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Royal Marines head on Arctic raids as NATO deters aggression on its northern flank during major exercise
18 March 2025
Royal Marines launched daring night-time commando raids in the final act of a major deployment to the Arctic Circle.
More than 2,000 personnel from the UK Commando Force have spent the opening months of 2025 honing vital extreme cold weather warfare tactics alongside NATO allies in the frozen reaches of Northern Norway.
The Commandos’ annual mission has once again underscored the UK’s commitment to deterring aggression on the alliance’s northern flank and across close ally Norway’s complex coastlines, fjords and mountains.
The deployment reached its peak on a multinational exercise – codenamed Joint Viking – that brought together 10,000 allied troops from nine nations to prove they are able to operate as one formidable force.
Arbroath-based 45 Commando launched night-time raids onto the rugged and mountainous Senja Island from amphibious ship RFA Lyme Bay – making their daring mission from Merlin and Wildcat helicopters from Commando Helicopter Force and small inflatable raiding craft.
This was all overseen by the Commander Amphibious Task Force from the Royal Navy’s Littoral Response Group embarked on Lyme Bay – which deploy globally to coordinate Commando operations wherever they are taking place.
The marines of 45 Commando acted as the tip of the allied spear, carrying out reconnaissance patrols to gain an understanding of ‘enemy’ positions and strength before carrying out strikes on targets to fundamentally weaken their adversary. Ultimately their work paved the way for the larger allied force to land ashore, which later was tasked with capturing the Norwegian port of Sørreisa as the last objective of Joint Viking.
“Exercise Joint Viking has allowed the UK Commando Force to deepen its multilateral partnerships, working with key allies as we seek to deter Russia on NATO’s Northern Flank,” said Commander James Smith, Commander Amphibious Task Force.
“Operating from the sea and on the land, we continue to set and shape the High North theatre as the advanced force ahead of any crisis or conflict by demonstrating our flexibility and adaptability in challenging conditions.
“The exercise has been a fantastic achievement for the Commando Force, and all of its constituent personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Army and Air Force should be rightly proud of their contribution.”
The raid on Senja was the culmination of months of hard work that led up to Joint Viking – arduous survival, movement and combat training that sees each commando forged into a highly-skilled arctic soldier.
RFA Lyme Bay arrived in the region at the end of February and has since taken her place at the heart of the allied amphibious task group – headed by Dutch ship HNLMS Johan De Witt and under the command of the Commander Netherlands Maritime Forces.
The amphibious task group was protected by NATO’s premier security force in the region – Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 – as it entered the fjords near Senja.
Norwegian and US P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and allied submarines combined to form a protective shield around the group, dealing with attacks from the air and neutralising threats beneath the waves.
With that protection in place, 45 Commando made their move ashore – securing the coastline before the Netherlands Marine Corps – the Korps Mariniers – made their own landing on the island.
As this landing took place, Wildcat helicopters repelled enemy fast attack craft simulated by P2000 patrol ships from the Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces Squadron.
Once Senja was brought under allied control, the amphibious task group then turned their attentions to capturing Sørreisa, a port that sits the other side of Senja on Norway’s main coastline.
Lieutenant Kofi Bruce Royal Marines, said: “Having the opportunity to be a part of the staff has given me valuable insights into what makes successful amphibious operations.
“I have been exposed to task group naval tactics, the logistics challenge of embarking people and equipment and the key process of effective ship to objective manoeuvre.
“This has given me good exposure to both the green and blue side of amphibious operations, and will serve me well in my future career.”