Norway weighs to set up military police on remote Arctic island

Norway’s Ministry of Defenсe has put forward draft regulations that would expand military police authority to the remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen, citing a more uncertain security environment and the possibility of increased Norwegian and allied activity in the area.

The proposal, open for public and stakeholder input until next month, would extend the geographical scope of Norway’s existing Military Police Act to include the uninhabited volcanic island, located about 300 miles (500 kilometers) east of Greenland, Defense News reports. 

Jan Mayen hosts a combined meteorological and military outpost with a small, rotating presence of Norwegian armed forces personnel, as well as the Jan Mayensfield airstrip used for occasional military flights and supply missions.

Under the proposed changes, “a military area can be established and enforced on the island – as an officer in the Armed Forces, the station commander there will also have authority to intervene to maintain security and prevent or stop law violations,” according to the draft document.

The move comes amid heightened attention on Arctic security. In February, Norway announced plans for a new undersea fiber-optic cable linking the mainland with Svalbard and Jan Mayen.

The island has previously drawn international scrutiny: a 2020 visit by US Air Force personnel assessing whether C-130J Super Hercules aircraft could land there prompted criticism from Russia. Moscow described the visit as “alarming” and part of efforts to destabilise the region.

Arctic territories are increasingly viewed as potential flashpoints as geopolitical tensions grow in the warming region. A recent Arctic Institute report warned that Svalbard could be vulnerable to confrontation with Russia.

At the same time, Scandinavian governments have highlighted broader concerns: last week, Denmark for the first time listed the United States as a potential security concern in its annual intelligence report, following President Donald Trump’s stated interest in taking control of Greenland.

By Sabina Mammadli