RAF personnel from LXX Squadron have completed Operation Atlantic City on Jan Mayen, the isolated Norwegian island in the Arctic, alongside UK Commando Force, US and Norwegian allies. The operation ran from 26 August to 4 September and formed part of NATO’s Arctic Sentry enhanced vigilance activity.
The deployment brought together Royal Air Force transport support, Royal Marines and US Marine Corps units with the Royal Norwegian Navy and Norwegian Home Guard. US Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130 aircraft and a US Air Forces Europe C-130 also supported the activity, alongside integrated sensor and communications systems.
Jan Mayen lies about 1,000 km from mainland Norway and has long been used as a strategic outpost in the High North. UK officials framed the exercise as a test of NATO’s ability to deploy, integrate and operate jointly in demanding Arctic conditions.
Operation Atlantic City overlapped with naval manoeuvres linked to Operation Northern Viking 26, allowing participating forces to make use of shared maritime and sensing assets across the European theatre. The trilateral drill was designed to sharpen joint readiness across air, land and maritime elements in the Arctic environment.