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Europe
Military exercise in Norway aims to fight terror
2005-03-08
Something practical, for once. And nice pic at the link.
Around 14,000 soldiers from 15 countries are in Norway this month for an annual winter exercise that's far from traditional. Mock battles from the Cold War era have been replaced with anti-terror exercises and training in civilian assistance. This year's international military exercise is training soldiers to deal with terrorist attacks. Last year's annual NATO exercises caught flak from critics who dubbed them outdated. Politicians in Norway's parliament called them "old-fashioned" and urged the powers-that-be that anti-terror training was much more in demand.

So, for the first time, this year's exercise isn't about an invasion of Norway by a conventional military force. Instead, "Battle Griffin" poses new scenarios where operations in foreign countries are in focus. That included an operation over the weekend where special forces took back a battleship that had been stormed by terrorists. The 14,000 soldiers are swarming all over the otherwise idyllic countryside of Nord-Trøndelag, experiencing control posts, conducting peace-keeping missions, clearing away landmines or evacuating civilians in a war zone. Special forces are liberating captured targets, shipping traffic is monitored and fighter jets patrol from overhead.

Troops from the various nations participating have chosen what types of exercises in which they want training. Experience dealing with cold weather, snow and ice, and mountainous territory is useful for troops from, for example, the Netherlands. Many of the soldiers participating in Battle Griffin have experience from Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. The winter exercise was to run until March 11.
Posted by:Seafarious

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