The Major Arctic Challenge Exercise 2025 is Cancelled
Norwegian F-35 fighter jets in Arctic airspace during Arctic Challenge Exercise 2023 alongside a US KC-135 tanker aircraft. The 2025 edition of the exercise is called off. (Photo: Andrew Sinclair/US Air National Guard)
The fighter jet exercise Arctic Challenge was to take place in May-June across Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, with US participation. The decision to cancel the exercise was made in unity by the Nordic air force chiefs, informs the Norwegian Air Force.
The Arctic Challenge Exercise (ACE) 2025 has been cancelled, SVT wrote earlier in June. The exercise was scheduled to take place from May 26th to June 14th in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark.
ACE has been organized under Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish auspices biennially since 2013, and is part of the Nordic defense cooperation NORDEFCO.
Initially, the Nordic fighter jet exercise was to include forces from about ten countries, but the size was downscaled this spring, according to the Swedish broadcaster.
"Two nations were scheduled to come to Kallax (air station, ed. note]: the Danish Air Force with F-16 and the US Air Force with 12 F-16 and about 250 persons. The Danes withdrew from the exercise when it did not become full-scale. But the Americans still wanted to come here," says Peter Greberg, Commander of the Norrbotten Wing F21, to SVT.
"The reason why the Americans are not coming after all is that they have re-prioritized due to other important operations. Only the US Air Forces in Europe know what is behind that decision," Greberg continues.
Joint decision based on various assessments
High North News has asked the Norwegian Air Force why the exercise was cancelled, but has not received any clear answer.
"The decision not to carry out ACE 2025 was made jointly by the Nordic Air Force chiefs. Each country has its own assessment, and on Norway's part, it was natural to support the decision because the Air Force has a very high level of activity at the moment, among other things," writes Lieutenant Colonel Eivind Byre, Head of Communications in the Norwegian Air Force, in an email.
"This year, we participated in the exercise Viking Hammer in the US, we have conducted standby readiness with air defense and F-25s in Poland, and we are now preparing for participation in the Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia with six F-25s and one Hercules aircraft," Byre adds.
The 2023 edition
ACE 2023 involved around 150 aircraft and 3,000 personnel from 14 countries, training across Norway, Finland, and Sweden, primarily over northern regions. The other participating countries were Denmark, the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Italy.
