Snowmobiles, skis, and laser tag: How NATO soldiers train for Arctic assaults
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Snowmobiles, skis, and laser tag: How NATO soldiers train for Arctic assaults
"The encounter took place during a recent winter combat exercise involving roughly 20 NATO troops, beginning with an assault on skis and snowmobiles before shifting into a simulated firefight using blanks and lasers instead of live ammo. The drill was part of a monthlong course led by Finland's Jaeger Brigade that trains allied forces in Arctic warfare and cold-weather survival. Business Insider observed the battle's start at a training site 75 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Finland's snow-blanketed Lapland region."
"It pitted a small platoon of NATO soldiers against an "enemy" force that was three times larger and composed of conscripts from the Jaeger Brigade. As the strategic Arctic region becomes increasingly important to both NATO and its adversaries, exercises like this are designed to sharpen allied troops' abilities to fight on frozen battlefields. The environment is harsh and unforgiving, with sub-zero temperatures routine. And while fighting is simulated, it reflects real-world threats."
A monthlong Jaeger Brigade course trains roughly 20 NATO troops in Arctic warfare and cold-weather survival, starting with assaults on skis and snowmobiles and moving into simulated firefights using blanks and lasers. Training occurs about 75 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Finland's Lapland and pits small NATO platoons against larger conscript forces to replicate numerical disadvantages and tactical complexity. The drills emphasize operating in harsh, sub-zero conditions and aim to sharpen allied abilities to fight on frozen terrain. Use of lasers increases realism by creating a tangible fear of being hit, while simulations mirror real-world Arctic security threats.
Read at Business Insider
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