BADDEREN (Norway): Finnish conscript Atte Ohman readied himself aboard a US landing ship to storm a snow-swept Norwegian beach as part of a rapid response unit pushing out an invading enemy.

“There is a saying that ‘if you want to keep the peace, you need to prepare for war’,” the 19-year-old corporal said, clutching his automatic rifle. “That’s what we’re doing.”

The simulated assault on Nato’s frigid Arctic fringe was part of its sprawling, four-month Steadfast Defender exercise — the largest drills staged by the US-led military alliance since the Cold War.

Swedish gunboats sped to shore, Italian paratroopers abseiled from helicopters, and French marines emerged on skis. The message was clear — Nato is prepared to protect itself in the face of an increasingly aggressive Russia two years into the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.

Last week the alliance got even larger as Sweden became its 32nd member almost a year after its Nordic neighbour Finland joined.

“We’re signalling that we are ready to defend our territories and that’s very important at the same time as strengthening our capabilities to operate together,” Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said, after watching tanks from his country engage in a mock battle on the Norwegian-Finnish border.

“Right now the Russian ground forces are bogged down in Ukraine, but Russia has stated high ambitions to reconstitute itself and adapt its force posture.”

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2024