- US Navy SEALs and allied commandos successfully executed a first-of-its-kind Arctic Circle drill recently.
- Over 400 special operations forces delivered a package to the submarine USS Hampton.
- The drill tested combat readiness amid increasing concern about the potential for conflict in the Arctic.
Deep into the Arctic Circle, US Navy SEALs and allied commandos recently dashed across the frozen ground on snowmobiles to link up with a surfaced submarine that had busted through the ice in a historic training exercise that put the sub-zero skills of the special operations forces to the test.
Last week, over 400 special operations forces, including SEALs and US Army Green Berets and 160th SOAR crews, as well as foreign partners, participated in drills as part of the broader Arctic Edge 24 training event.
During one first-of-its-kind training event, special operations MH-47G Chinook helicopters dispatched SEALs and other SOF personnel and snowmobiles onto the Arctic terrain to retrieve and deliver a package dropped from a C-130 to the Navy attack submarine USS Hampton that had breached the icy surface only moments earlier.
This was the first time that SOF personnel, SOF aircraft, and snowmobiles have ever worked together to execute an operation involving a submarine that had surfaced through thick ice so deep in the Arctic Circle.
"Naval Special Warfare's unique ability to conduct complex operations in the water column, and in maritime domains such as the Arctic, discourages aggression from potential adversaries," Naval Special Warfare Group Two Commodore Capt. Bill Gallagher said in a release on the training.
Special operations forces from other countries, such as Norway, Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom also participated in the exercise, which stretched from Alaska, across Canada, and into Greenland, to help integrate new strategies for optimal sub-zero Arctic combat.
The training was carried out as a way to prepare for adversarial threats. Previously, the US had less of a focus on the Arctic, but with Russia and China taking up an increased presence in the region, the US now has more interest in pursuing Arctic training.
There's more pressure on the US military to invest in crucial resources like icebreakers, strong ships that easily cut through ice to create pathways. The US fleet is vastly disproportionate to Russia's fleet. But readiness is about more than icebreakers.
While this Arctic Circle drill aimed to familiarize elite special operations forces with complex operations on Arctic terrain, other elements of the training pushed them to adapt to ever-changing terrain to develop skills necessary for combat in this difficult environment.
US and allied military personnel training in the Arctic must work through temperatures below -40 degrees Fahrenheit. They have to master cold weather survival skills that are essential to avoid freezing to death.
Terrain and ground conditions can be significant challenges for ground troops and those dealing with logistics in the Arctic. Troops focused on the combat element may be tasked with clearing snow for artillery or other heavy equipment while personnel dealing with approaching aircraft may need to clear ice in order for helicopters to land.
