The Royal Navy of Great Britain on Wednesday announced the opening of a new base in northern Norway.
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“The new Arctic operating base will support British commandos over the next ten years as the UK underscores its commitment to security in the High North,” the country’s Royal Navy said in a press release.
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It is noted that the Camp Viking base (“Viking Camp”), located about 40 kilometers from the Norwegian city of Tromsø, will be able to accommodate the entire composition of the British Coastal Rapid Response Group (Littoral Response Group, LRG).
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The base is also ideally positioned to “contain threats in the region” and is located in such a way that British forces can quickly respond if necessary to protect NATO’s northern flank, as well as its ally Norway, the base said.
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Over the past winter, about one thousand special forces soldiers managed to move to the new base. Together with NATO allies, they are currently conducting exercises.
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Major Kirk Allen, commander of the UK military’s deployable unit, also said that Camp Viking would be “a focal point for training in mountain and cold weather warfare” and strategically placed as a forward operating base in support of NATO operations.
