The Norwegian Frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen on Svalbard Patrol

The Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen has carried out this autumn's Svalbard patrol. The Navy has undertaken the mission every year since the 1970s, the Norwegian Armed Forces reported. The stated aims are to assert Norwegian sovereignty, show a presence, build situational awareness and give the crew training in demanding Arctic waters.

Commander Senior Grade Stian Gjermundsen Buunk, the frigate's commanding officer, said Norway should keep operating in the area and maintain its sovereignty in the north. Among other activities, the ship trained together with a P-8 aircraft of the Norwegian forces that patrols at sea. Russia's Northern Fleet operates from multiple naval bases on the Kola Peninsula. Submarines from there can enter the Atlantic Ocean via the Bear Gap, which lies between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland. Frigates and patrol aircraft are important in finding and following Russian submarines.

When Norwegian and Russian vessels work in the same area, communication has to be clear so that dangerous situations are avoided. Buunk said that, for the most part, the Russians are also very professional at sea, and that they very rarely experience disagreements with them. The two countries have an agreement called Incidents at Sea, or INCSEA. It aims to prevent dangerous incidents when their military ships and aircraft operate close together.

The frigate also exercised with MS Polarsyssel, the ship of Sysselmesteren (the Governor of Svalbard). It is a non-military vessel that handles rescue operations, inspections and readiness against oil spills. Among other drills, the two ships practised towing one another.

The Governor, Lars Fause, said he appreciates the Navy's yearly frigate visit. He said it matters that authority is exercised in Longyearbyen. He said the Armed Forces also show presence by sending a frigate under the Norwegian flag. The Norwegian Coast Guard is also around Svalbard all year, for sovereignty, plus inspections of fisheries and hunting, environmental monitoring and customs checks. Fause said he likes the usual pattern of a frigate calling at Longyearbyen once a year with the Coast Guard present almost constantly. He said it conveys security and confidence that Norway wants to protect the territory long term.

Correction, 31 October 2026: an earlier version credited to Commander Buunk and to the Armed Forces report two points that are High North News's own narration, and said the Russian crews' professionalism explained why disagreements are rare. Buunk said the Russians are mostly very professional at sea and that disagreements are very rare. He did not link the two.

Coverage: High North News