The Royal Air Force has confirmed its readiness to assume leadership of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force Special Operations Component in July 2026 following the successful completion of Exercise Hyperion Storm.
Royal Marines have fired mortar rounds into the Arctic sky as intensive mission rehearsals continue in Northern Norway, where around 1,500 UK Commandos have been deployed inside the Arctic Circle as part of NATO efforts to protect the alliance’s Nordic nations.
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At the Munich Security Conference 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security and prosperity.
Britain will deploy its Carrier Strike Group to the North Atlantic and High North in 2026 under Operation Firecrest, reinforcing NATO deterrence amid rising Russian military activity in the region.
NATO announced that on 5 February 2026 nine Allied nations completed the year’s first Tactical Leadership Programme flying course at Albacete Air Base in Spain.
Denmark’s F-35 fighter aircraft have become the country’s first contribution to NATO’s Arctic Sentry activity, which begins today, Friday 13 February, building on previously agreed initiatives including Arctic Shield, Arctic Summer and Arctic Endurance.
Rheinmetall has secured an initial order worth around €200 million from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency under a 2025 framework agreement for 120mm tank ammunition, marking a significant contract in scope and value.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby urged allies to build a “NATO 3.0” based on “partnership rather than dependency” as he represented the United States at a NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
Sweden will contribute JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the newly established NATO operation Arctic Sentry, aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and the High North, the Swedish Ministry of Defence said.
Allied Command Operations (ACO), responsible for the planning and execution of all NATO exercises, activities and operations, began Arctic Sentry on 11 February.
NATO forces have launched Exercise Dynamic Front 26 as a practical test of collective defense, emphasizing the coordination of lethal and non-lethal effects across a distributed battlefield.
Senior reserve leaders from across NATO met at the NATO Air Reserve Symposium to examine how reserve forces can address evolving global security challenges and support the alliance’s future transformation.
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