U.S. service members arrived in Keflavik, Iceland, to join forces with the Icelandic Coast Guard and other NATO allies for Exercise Northern Viking 2026, a training operation marking 75 years of defense cooperation between the U.S. and Iceland.
The exercise runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 3 and includes military personnel and assets from Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Norway, Poland and the U.S., according to the U.S. 6th Fleet. Training will focus on antisubmarine warfare, mine countermeasures, expeditionary construction, search and rescue, humanitarian medical response and disaster response.
The exercise commemorates the 1951 bilateral defense agreement between Iceland and the U.S., which established a U.S. security presence in the country that has evolved from Cold War deterrence to modern multidomain defense operations.
U.S. Navy Vice Adm. J. T. Anderson, U.S. 6th Fleet commander, said the exercise demonstrates "our commitment to the collective defense of the North Atlantic. Together with our allies, we continue to create an environment that allows interoperability among NATO maritime forces so that European allies can take over primary responsibility for deterrence and defense in the European theater."
The exercise is designed to strengthen interoperability and force readiness, securing sea lanes in a region that connects the transatlantic corridor between North America and Europe.