UK to Deploy More Troops to Norway in Response to Arctic Defense Concerns, Says Minister

British Defense Secretary John Healey will be meeting with fellow defense secretaries of NATO allies at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 12.

British Defense Minister John Healey attends a press conference at the Ministry of Defense in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 21, 2026. Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix/Reuters

The number of British soldiers deployed to northern Norway to help secure the Arctic will double from 1,000 to 2,000 over the next three years, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Feb. 11.

The defense ministry said the increase in British presence in the Arctic region is in response to rising threats from Russia.