NATO launches large-scale air force exercise on Monday
Ramstein Flag 2026 will span a vast area from northern Norway to southern Spain.
The first fighter jets and support aircraft from participating nations have already arrived at Kallax Airport in Sweden and Rovaniemi Air Base in Finland. In Norway, Ørland Air Base will host most of the visiting aircraft, while the exercise will be coordinated from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Bodø, north of the Arctic Circle.
In total, more than 200 aircraft from 18 nations will take part in the exercise, including the activities taking place in Spain. Around 150 of those aircraft will operate in the Nordic region, primarily across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The Finnish Air Force says German Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft, together with U.S. F-35B fighter jets, will operate from Rovaniemi Air Base. Located on the Arctic Circle, the base will also host transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft, including German and Spanish A330 MRTT tankers and U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
Rovaniemi is home to half of Finland’s fleet of F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets and will become the first air base in the country to receive the new F-35 aircraft, due to arrive in autumn 2026.
At Ørland Air Base in southern Norway, Belgian F-16s, Danish F-35s, Italian F-35s, Turkish F-16s and Norway’s own F-35 fleet will take part in the exercise, which runs from 9 to 19 June.
According to NATO, the exercise will focus on key strategic priorities, including Counter Anti-Access/Area Denial (C-A2/AD), Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD), and Agile Combat Employment (ACE).
These objectives are intended to ensure NATO air forces remain prepared to respond rapidly and effectively in an Article 5 scenario.
During the live-fly phase of Ramstein Flag 26 from 8 to 18 June, no live munitions will be used, as missile launches and bomb releases will be simulated.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Arctic prepardness dominates Canada-Finland bilaterial meeting, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: European Commission names former Finnish PM as EU-Arctic relations advisor, Eye on the Arctic
Greenland: Denmark to expand Arctic surveillance with purchase of long-range drones, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: British carrier deploys north for NATO exercise amid increase in Russian overflights, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Two held in Sweden over suspected deliveries of hi-tech gear to Russia, Thomson Reuters
