An icy spectacular was staged by the naval, air and land forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which saw warships operating close to and within the Norwegian fjords. Troops went ashore by landing craft and helicopter, while military aircraft soared overhead. Dutch and British commandos even parachuted onto a frozen lake.

In excess of 20,000 military personnel, around 50 aircraft and some 40 ships were committed to Exercise Joint Viking, training in harsh Arctic winter conditions.

Led by the Norwegian Armed Forces, Joint Viking is held every two years with units from NATO and partner nations invited to participate. Most of the troops involved came from Norway, with the rest contributed by Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and USA.

Joint Warrior, staged at the same time, was a biannual, multilateral, multi-warfare exercise that incorporated surface, subsurface, airborne and land scenarios to provide joint training in a multi-threat environment.

Participating nations this time included not only the USA and UK but also Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Poland. More than 30 ships, four submarines and multiple air units, including Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPAs) were involved.

During the exercises amphibious warfare vessels of the NATO navies showed what they can do in the littoral waters of the Arctic to launch and support operations ashore. Among those ships was the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) HMS Albion, flagship of Royal Navy amphibious forces.

Albion was part of a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) task group led by HNLMS Rotterdam of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). According to the Dutch defence ministry Rotterdam, along with the multi-role amphibious vessel HNLMS Karel Doorman, the mine warfare vessel HNLMS Schiedam and frigate HNLMS Van Amstel composed the contingent from the Netherlands.

Marines from 1 Marine Combat Group were embarked in HNLMS Rotterdam. The UK also contributed the Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) Mounts Bay to the exercises, along with Daring Class destroyer HMS Defender and frigate HMS Somerset while the Royal Danish Navy (RDN) sent HDMS Niels Juel, the Spanish fleet ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon, Poland ORP General Tadeusz Kosciuzko (all frigates). Norway also committed the frigate HNoMS Otto Sverdrup, fast corvette HNoMS Skjold, submarine HNoMS Uredd among other naval vessels.

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