NATO to set up temporary air operations command centre in Arctic Norway

A temporary NATO air operations command centre is to be established at the Norwegian Air Force base in Bodø, according to a statement from Norway’s Ministry of Defence.

Thus, the Norwegian government has begun preparations for hosting the alliance’s third air operations command centre at the Bodø military base, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The interim facility is expected to be operational for several years and staffed by several hundred personnel until a permanent centre is completed.

The development follows remarks in May by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who stressed that the alliance must take on a more prominent role in the Arctic to deter Russia.

His comments came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed an international Arctic forum in Murmansk, where he pledged to strengthen Russia’s global leadership in the region.

Putin described the northern direction as the country’s “historic sovereign choice” and emphasised that Russia’s goals in the Arctic should be far-reaching and long-term, spanning decades or even centuries. He said Moscow aims to ensure the comprehensive development of the region for future generations.

Earlier this year, German officials raised concerns about Northern Europe falling behind Russia in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Arctic use.

By Aghakazim Guliyev