Navy News
Direct from the front-line, the official newspaper of the Royal Navy, Navy News, brings you the latest news, features and award winning photos every month.
Royal Marines test what can truly be sustained in the Arctic
24 March 2026
Royal Marines from the UK Commando Force have completed a bold and ambitious patrol in the High North – pushing the limits of what is possible in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
Conducted across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland during 45 Commando Group’s winter deployment, the patrol – codenamed Arctic Fox – was designed to answer crucial questions about operations in the extreme cold and strengthen the UK’s readiness in a region vital to European security.
Arctic Fox covered more than 1,500 kilometres – roughly the distance from London to Budapest – in temperatures as low as -60c. During more than 40 days in Arctic conditions, the small team of Royal Marines and Army commandos, operated far from support in some of the most remote and demanding terrain in Europe.
The commandos set out to replace theory with real‑world experience and returned with critical evidence on the demands of operating in extreme temperatures. By pushing themselves and their equipment to the limit in real Arctic conditions, the patrol revealed what can be achieved in the modern era of combat, providing invaluable data that will alter the scope of current and future operations.
Throughout the patrol, scientific insight was gathered into how people cope and perform during prolonged exposure to extreme cold. The lessons learnt from Arctic Fox ensure future training and equipment development will be based on this new, deeper understanding grounded in data, ultimately allowing forces to operate with greater confidence in Arctic environments.
Crucially, Arctic Fox provided clarity about how Arctic operations can be enhanced across the UK Commando Force, wider Defence and NATO. That understanding will help shape preparations for future crisis and conflict, ensuring forces are continually at the cutting-edge.
The patrol reinforces the UK’s reputation as a leader in cold weather operations and supports NATO as it adapts to the growing importance of the High North, underlining the role of the UK Commando Force as one designed to respond rapidly to demanding global challenges.
The lessons captured through Arctic Fox will sharpen our warfighting edge and directly inform how we, and our allies, prepare for crisis and conflict in this critical region. I am immensely proud of every Royal Marine and commando who served on this deployment.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Al Carns MP, said: “As threats in the High North increase, Arctic Fox is exactly the kind of bold and rigorous activity that keeps our Armed Forces at the cutting edge of NATO operations.
“By pushing the limits of what is possible in some of the harshest conditions on Earth, these commandos have strengthened our readiness in the High North – reinforcing the Royal Marines’ reputation as leaders in cold weather operations and our commitment to collective security.”
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, said: “The High North is not a peripheral concern. It is a strategically vital theatre, and the UK’s ability to operate there – with confidence, at range, and in the most demanding conditions on earth – matters enormously to our national security and to NATO’s collective defence. As competition in the Arctic intensifies, our presence and our expertise are not optional.
“The lessons captured through Arctic Fox will sharpen our warfighting edge and directly inform how we, and our allies, prepare for crisis and conflict in this critical region. I am immensely proud of every Royal Marine and commando who served on this deployment.”
The Commanding Officer of 45 Commando Group, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Webber Royal Marines, said: “This activity is an exemplar of the Royal Navy’s drive, set by the First Sea Lord, to maximise its warfighting readiness in the High North using the capabilities we have today.
“Arctic Fox shows how the Royal Marines approach that challenge – innovating in harsh conditions, learning fast, and turning experience into real readiness. It perfectly reflects the adaptability, resilience and determination that have always defined commando forces.”