Norwegian army conducts exercises in Iceland

Military units from the Norwegian Special Forces and some of Norway’s F-16 fighter jets will be conducting military exercise in Iceland this week in order to practise defending the island.

In addition to the Norwegian military personnel, units from Latvia, the US and Denmark will join the exercises. Iceland has no army of its own to defend itself in the event of military aggression.

The United States operated military bases on Iceland until 2006 but has now handed over responsibility of those bases back to Iceland. The current military exercises are the first manifestation of Norway’s responsibility in Iceland since signing a defence agreement in April this year.

“The exercise is the first concrete expression of the increased military co-operation between Norway and Iceland,” said Junior Defence Minister Espen Barth Eide. “We have a lot in common with Iceland,” he added.

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