NATO uses Norwegian bases for reconnaissance near Russia

NATO has conducted intelligence-gathering missions using Norwegian military bases for the first time since the 1950s. British RC-135W electronic reconnaissance aircraft departed from Ørland airbase to operate in international airspace near Russia’s Kola Peninsula.

These missions represent a significant shift in Norwegian policy. For decades, Norway had restricted NATO aircraft from conducting such operations from its northern bases to avoid provoking Russia, particularly in strategic maritime areas near the Kola Peninsula and Novaya Zemlya where significant Russian naval and nuclear assets are stationed.

In addition to the RC-135W, a British P-8 maritime patrol aircraft also operated from the Evenes base. The RC-135W, also known as the Rivet Joint, is designed to intercept and analyze radio communications and radar signals. While these aircraft have frequently conducted reconnaissance along Poland’s eastern border since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the use of Norwegian bases for missions targeting the Kola Peninsula marks a notable change in regional operational patterns.