Cold Response 26 is a regularly scheduled multinational exercise involving operations across the air, land, sea, cyber, and space domains. The training event is intended to create a highly realistic joint environment that demonstrates NATO’s collective defense capabilities.
The exercise highlights how NATO members share responsibility for regional security on the Alliance’s Northern Flank. It also enhances the joint force’s ability to protect the homeland by maintaining a security perimeter far from American shores.
F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, will operate from Ørland, Norway. The aircraft are expected to provide significant combat power and force projection during the exercise.
HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and HC-130J Combat King II aircraft from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, will operate from Bardufoss, Norway. These aircraft will conduct combat search and rescue missions in both Norway and Sweden.
KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, England, will provide aerial refueling to U.S. and Allied aircraft. A C-17 Globemaster III assigned to March Air Reserve Base, California, will operate from Sola, Norway, to provide airlift support.
Cold Response 26 is Norway’s largest military exercise scheduled for 2026. The event involves more than 25,000 personnel from over a dozen nations and organizations.
Participating countries include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with NATO. The exercise aims to strengthen Allied combat power, sustain operational readiness, and deter hostile actions in the Arctic region.
The training also supports the development of advanced warfighting capabilities in the Arctic. According to the U.S. Air Force, these efforts are intended to ensure the United States maintains a strategic advantage in an important geopolitical region and remains ready to defeat threats against the homeland originating abroad.
