{"id":26314,"date":"2020-09-10T15:42:42","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T15:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/09\/10\/british-warships-extend-their-northern-reach-for-barents-sea-drill\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:11:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:11:54","slug":"british-warships-extend-their-northern-reach-for-barents-sea-drill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2020\/09\/10\/british-warships-extend-their-northern-reach-for-barents-sea-drill\/","title":{"rendered":"British warships extend their northern reach for Barents Sea drill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LONDON \u2014 Warships and aircraft from Britain, Denmark, Norway and the U.S. have completed an exercise aimed at demonstrating freedom of navigation in the High North, the British Ministry of Defence announced Sept 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland led the Norwegian frigate Thor Heyerdahl and the U.S. Navy destroyer Ross in an exercise to the Barents Sea which started earlier this week and is now completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The naval task force also included the British oiler RFA Tidespring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the first time the Royal Navy has led a multinational task group in the High North region in more than 20 years, and the move is part of a growing British effort in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March the British were a major contributor to exercise Cold Response 2020 with naval, land and helicopter units, second only in their contribution to the Norwegians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was followed in May by the Royal Navy revisiting the region in tandem with the U.S. Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High North News, an independent newspaper published by Nord University in Norway, said it was the first time since the 1980s the British and U.S. naval units had operated together in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Norway did not participate in the naval exercise conducted in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quoting senior researcher Julie Wilhelmsen of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, High North News said Norway now wants to assert its defense capacity in the High North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany pointed out that Norway did not participate in the American-British exercise last May. \u2026 Through participating in this exercise, Norway sends a signal. It somehow deflects the impression that this is all about big power rivalry between the USA and Russia. This is also about Norway\u2019s ability to defend itself,\u201d Wilhelmsen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t