The annual exercise Arctic Dolphin began February 3 in Bergen. Arctic Dolphin is planned and led by the Royal Norwegian Navy.
Units from Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Denmark will take part. The exercise in an important element of the annual Submarine Commander course, providing valuable training both for future submarine commanders and anti-submarine units on the surface and in the air.
It runs from 6–17 February 2023, both in the North Sea and in the fjords between the Sognefjord and the island of Stord. Several of the participating ships will be docked in Bergen during the weekend of 3–5 February. The Royal Norwegian Navy has dedicated a liaison officer to Fedje Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) to coordinate with civilian vessels.
Arctic Dolphin is an important part of the annual Submarine Commander course, and it provides good training for Norwegian and foreign commander candidates. In addition to training future submarine commanders, frigates and Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) will train Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW.) Operating in challenging conditions in the North Sea, near the coast and in the fjords, the exercise area itself provides valuable experiences, says the Commander of the Royal Norwegian Submarine Service, Captain Øystein Valland.
Allied participation on both the exercise and on the Submarine Commander course develops allied cooperation.
The 53rd Norwegian Submarine Commander course is the main effort of exercise Arctic Dolphin.
“Allied participation is of special importance, as they contribute towards a safe and efficient execution of this exercise. In addition to this, we can facilitate our allies gaining experience from operating in Norwegian waters during winter”, says Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy, Commodore Trond Gimmingsrud.
Facts – Arctic Dolphin 2023:
- Arctic Dolphin is an annual exercise focusing on the Submarine Commander course. It involves NATO allies, taking place in the Bergen area.
- Duration: 6–17 February 2023.
- Exercise area: North Sea outside of Bergen, and fjords between Stord and Sognefjord.
- Norwegian participants: The frigate KNM Otto Sverdrup and the submarine KNM Utvær.
- NATO vessels and submarines: FGS Mecklenburd-Vorpommern (Germany), HMS Portland (UK), ORP Gen T. Kosciouszo (Poland) – three ships from the NATO Standing Maritime Group (SNMG1), FGS U31 (Germany,) and HDMS Hvidebjørn (Denmark).
- Allied aircraft: German MPA (P-3C), British MPA (P-8,) embarked helicopters from Poland, Germany and the UK.