THE WATCH STAFF
Senior military leaders from the United States and Norway met recently at the headquarters of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), where they agreed to boost their already strong defense partnership — especially in the Arctic, a priority region for both nations.
Lt. Gen. Yngve Odlo, commander of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters (NJHQ), and Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, visited Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado on June 20, 2023. They met with Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and USNORTHCOM, as well as Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. A.C. Roper. They also met with Brig. Gen. Michele Kilgore, USNORTHCOM’s Deputy Director of Operations, and Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy for NORAD and USNORTHCOM. (Pictured, from left: Lt. Gen. Yngve Odlo, Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland and Brig. Gen. Michele Kilgore.)
“A strong and close cooperation with our allies in NATO is important for the Arctic security,” Odlo told the High North News newspaper in a June 23 story. “The U.S. is our most important ally. The conversations [Folland] and I had with the leaders of the USNORTHCOM were about continued and increased cooperation, coordinating exercises and activities in the Arctic, and a shared understanding of the security policy situation.”
The Unified Command Plan designates the Commander of USNORTHCOM as the DOD’s Advocate for Arctic Capabilities. Norway, along with the U.S., is one of eight members of the Arctic Council, an international forum for addressing issues in the region. Oslo assumed the council chair from Russia in May 2023.
The Arctic has become a theater for strategic competition where both Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are increasing their presence as melting sea ice opens the region to shipping and makes its vast natural resources accessible. The Arctic is also crucial to homeland defense for NORAD partners Canada and the U.S. because it is an avenue to North America for threats from all domains — air, space, land and maritime — that might come directly over the North Pole. As such, it is key to NORAD’s all-domain awareness and early detection of threats. Norway is an essential partner in defending that approach.
The actions taken by Norway and the U.S. as the result of the meetings between their senior military leaders will promote an integrated deterrence in the High North.
“The (NJHQ) plans and leads all operational activities of the Norwegian Armed Forces. It is therefore natural that the commander of the HQ has a close and tight cooperation with allied headquarters,” Odlo told High North News.
The leaders also emphasized the importance of close coordination between Norway and the U.S. — both founding members of NATO — as they work together to hold Russia accountable for its unjustified war against Ukraine. Norway, the leading supplier of natural gas to Europe, plays a vital role in helping move European nations from their dependence on Russian energy.
They also resolved to increase interoperability between USNORTHCOM and the NJHQ — with the support of U.S. European Command — in the information environment and to collaborate on strategies to counter misinformation, disinformation and propaganda.
As VanHerck wrote in a 2022 essay, “Campaigning at the top of the world: The Arctic and homeland defense,” of U.S. allies and partners: “We are stronger together, and our competitors know they do not benefit from the same relationships. Our integrated approach has a profound deterrent effect on competitors.”