By Wang Chengwen

王成文

Recently, NATO established an amphibious warfare center in the northern Norwegian city of Sørreisa. The move is seen as another important step by NATO to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic, which is expected to escalate tensions in the region.

近期，北约在挪威北部城市瑟雷萨设立一个两栖作战中心。这被视为北约加强北极地区军事存在的又一重要举措，将加剧北极地区紧张局势。

Sørreisa is located in Troms County, northern Norway. In the future, this city with a population of about 3,500 will become a strategic hub for NATO. The center will provide an amphibious training site for military personnel from the US, the UK and the Netherlands to enhance the combat capabilities of NATO in the Arctic region.

近期，北约在挪威北部城市瑟雷萨设立一个两栖作战中心。这被视为北约加强北极地区军事存在的又一重要举措，将加剧北极地区紧张局势。

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Norway has stepped up its investment in military facilities, spending almost 16 billion kroner ($1.44 billion) on bases in the Troms region alone. Currently, part of the Norwegian Army and special operations forces have entered the area. Analysts say that these measures by Norway provide both military and political support for the military operations of NATO in the Arctic region.

2022年俄乌冲突爆发以来，挪威不断加大军事设施投入，其中，在特罗姆斯郡的投入接近160亿挪威克朗（约合14.4亿美元）。目前，挪威部分陆军和特种作战部队已进驻该地区。分析人士认为，挪威这些举措，为北约在北极地区开展军事行动提供了军事和政治支持。

In addition to the establishment of a new amphibious operations center, NATO has also taken a number of measures to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic region.

除新设两栖作战中心外，北约还采取多项举措强化北极地区的军事存在。

It has perfected the military structure. In September this year, Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, said that NATO plans to establish a third Combined Air Operations Center in the Arctic region. NATO currently has two Combined Air Operations Centers, one in Uedem, Germany and one in Torrejón, Spain. They are responsible for commanding and coordinating air operations in northern and southern Europe respectively. Aiming to enhance the air defense and interception capabilities of NATO in the Arctic region, the new Combined Air Operations Center will be on par with the two aforementioned centers. It is revealed by some media that the center is likely to be expanded based on an airport somewhere in Sørreisa.

完善军事架构。今年9月，美国驻欧洲空军司令詹姆斯·赫克表示，北约计划在北极地区建立第3个联合航空作战指挥中心。目前，北约在德国的于德姆和西班牙的托雷洪，各设有一个航空作战指挥中心，分别负责指挥协调欧洲北部和南部地区的空中作战。新的航空作战指挥中心将与上述两个中心平级，旨在提升北约在北极地区的防空拦截能力。有媒体披露，该中心很可能在瑟雷萨某处机场的基础上扩建。

It has improved communication capabilities. In October this year, the R&D plan for a military-grade satellite communications network was adopted during a meeting of NATO's defense ministers in Brussels. It aims to establish a communication network called the Northlink to enhance the communication and navigation capabilities of NATO in the Arctic region. Thirteen NATO members, including the US and five Nordic nations, have already signed a letter of intent.

提升通信能力。今年10月，北约布鲁塞尔防长会议通过“北极军事卫星通信网”研发计划，旨在建立一个名为“北极链”的通信网络，提高北约在北极地区的通信和导航能力，包括美国和北欧5国在内的13个北约成员国已签署意向书。

It has enhanced the infrastructure. This March, three Nordic countries, including Norway, Sweden, and Finland, began constructing the Arctic Military Transport Corridor to ensure the rapid movement of military personnel and equipment from Norway's ports into Finland through Sweden. It was put into use during the Immediate Response joint exercise held in April. The US Army convoyed over 200 military vehicles and 300 containers via rail transport from the port of Narvik in Norway to Finland through locations such as Boden and Haparanda of Norrbotten in Sweden.

强化基础设施。今年3月，北欧3国挪威、瑞典和芬兰开始建设北极军事运输走廊，用来保障军事人员和装备快速从挪威的港口穿越瑞典抵达芬兰。该走廊在4月举行的“即时反应”联合演习中投入使用，参演的美国陆军将超过200辆军用车辆及300个集装箱，从挪威纳尔维克港口通过铁路运输，途经瑞典北博滕省博登市和哈帕兰达镇等地运抵芬兰。

It has increased training and exercise activities. Driven by the US, NATO has increased both the frequency and scale of military exercises in the Arctic in recent years. Just this year, several joint exercises were held, including Immediate Response, Arctic Edge, and Ice Camp. Norway, where the amphibious warfare centre of NATO is located, has also jointly held exercises with the US, including Cold Response 2022, Arctic Challenge 2023, Dynamic Mongoose 24, and Nordic Response 2024.

增加演训活动。在美国推动下，北约近年来在北极地区军事演习的频率和规模都呈上升趋势，仅在今年就举行了“即时反应”“北极边缘”“冰营行动”等多场联合演习。北约两栖作战中心所在的挪威，还与美国共同举行了“寒冷反应2022”“北极挑战2023”“动态猫鼬2024”“北欧响应2024”等演习。