A battalion of Royal Marines from Angus got stuck in an unusual traffic jam while exploring the Arctic.
The 45 Commando personnel from RM Condor near Arbroath have been involved in preparations for NATO’s biggest exercise in the Arctic in a generation.
The troops, as part of a group of a thousand Commandos, were deployed to northern Norway in what is described as in one of the world’s most “inhospitable environments.”
UK Commando Force Operations posted the clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing the Marines battling through snowy conditions with temperatures previously plummeting to -50C in the region.
The Marines were met with a large amount of reindeer who blocked the path of their snowmobiles.
The commandos will operate from Camp Viking in Skjold for the next ten years at the tip of the Arctic spear, with exercise Nordic Response aiming to sharpen survival skills across the terrain.
More than 20,000 NATO troops, 50 warships, submarines and other vessels and more than 110 fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft will take part in the exercise.
Major Ric Cole, a spokesperson for the Commando Force said: “The opening of Arctic trade routes and the constant threats, requires the UK to support NATO and our Scandinavian allies more than ever.
“Since World War 2 and the first use of Commandos, we have trained and operated from the fjords and inlets, pushing deep into the frozen interior.
“The UK Commando Force remains the partner of choice for our Norwegian counterparts, and increasingly to new NATO member Finland along with Sweden, whose Special Operations Forces and Coastal Rangers will be working with the Royal Marines.
“Together, and with US and Dutch involvement, we seek to develop a potent force capable of Defending NATO’s Arctic flank.”
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