Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a historic military exercise was held in the North Atlantic. For the first time in the history of the annual maneuvers “Northern Viking“ off the coast of Iceland, European NATO allies and Canada conducted exercises to detect Russian nuclear submarines without any US participation.
The aim of the operation was to play up the defense of the strategic “GIUK passage“ (the sea area between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom), through which Russian submarines exit the Atlantic Ocean.
The lack of American ships or aircraft reflects changes in the defense architecture and the readiness of European countries to take the lead.
Politico (politico.com) first reported on these unprecedented maneuvers, and details were also relayed by the UNIAN agency.