01:21 23-01-2026

The Times: US troops lag in true Arctic war readiness

By Army Sgt. Dakota Bradford - https://www.war.gov/Multimedia/Photos/igphoto/2003857068/, Public Domain, Link

The Times reports US forces lack resources and experience for Arctic operations, lagging behind Scandinavian and UK troops as NATO weighs an Arctic Sentry mission.

Journalists at The Times argue that US forces are poorly prepared for military operations in the Arctic. Citing a source in military circles, the paper reports that the US armed forces lack both the resources and the practical experience needed to operate effectively in this region.

According to the article, American troops are outperformed even by their European NATO partners when it comes to Arctic readiness. The best prepared for harsh northern conditions, The Times notes, are the forces of the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom.

A military source told the paper that during last year’s Joint Viking exercises in northern Norway, US units ran into serious difficulties. The source said the exercise command had to ask Finnish reservists, who were playing the role of the simulated enemy, to ease up on the American troops because their performance was becoming, in his words, humiliating and demoralising for the US side.

The report also states that the United States still depends on Finnish technology for building icebreakers, while European countries have far more substantial hands-on experience operating in Arctic conditions. Against this backdrop, The Times concludes that if US President Donald Trump truly wants to «protect» the region, continuing to antagonise America’s Arctic allies is the wrong approach.

The newspaper adds that Joint Viking is not the only exercise taking place in the High North: NATO also conducts drills such as Cold Response. According to The Times, the alliance is now discussing the creation of an «Arctic Sentry» mission, intended to counter what it describes as «Russian threats» in the region.