US and NATO allies begin Exercise Northern Viking in Iceland

The U.S. Sixth Fleet has commenced Exercise Northern Viking 2026 (NV26) in Keflavik, Iceland. The biennial exercise, which runs from August 22 to September 3, involves personnel from the United States, Iceland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway, and Poland, alongside NATO Allied Maritime Command and Joint Force Command Norfolk.

This year’s iteration marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 bilateral defense agreement between Iceland and the United States. The training focuses on strengthening interoperability and readiness through realistic scenarios, including anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, expeditionary construction, search and rescue, and humanitarian or disaster response.

A primary objective of the exercise is to secure the Greenland, Iceland, and United Kingdom (GIUK) gap, a vital shipping corridor for trans-Atlantic trade and security between North America and Europe. The drills aim to refine multi-domain command and control for coalition forces defending Iceland and safeguarding maritime communication lines.