Marines Deploy Long-Range Coastal Missile Systems to the Arctic

U.S. Marines and sailors recently transported mobile long-range missile systems to Norway’s High North, demonstrating how quickly American and allied forces could establish coastal defenses in the Arctic.

The systems were deployed to Trondheim, Norway, and the remote island of Jan Mayen during Operation Atlantic City 26. The multinational exercise, conducted from August 26 through September 4, brought together forces from the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

The operation was also conducted in support of NATO’s Arctic Sentry enhanced vigilance activities.

Rapid Deployment to the High North

One of the primary objectives was to demonstrate the rapid movement of ground-based maritime strike systems into distant locations by military transport aircraft.

A U.S. Navy Containerized Launching System was loaded aboard an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III on August 25 and transported to Trondheim two days later.

The system is based on the Mk 70 Mod 1 Payload Delivery System. It houses four Mk 41 Vertical Launch System cells inside a 40-foot shipping container, allowing the launcher to resemble standard cargo while remaining transportable by aircraft, ship, or ground vehicle.

The containerized design gives the Navy another way to position missile launchers at temporary locations without requiring a permanent installation.

The Navy previously tested the system aboard the littoral combat ship USS *Savannah* in October 2023, when it launched a Standard Missile-6 from the experimental launcher.

Marines Operate the Strike Master

The exercise also included the Strike Master Coastal Defense System, an Australian-designed missile vehicle operated by U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment.

Marines and British airmen loaded the Strike Master aboard a Royal Air Force A400M transport aircraft in Trondheim on August 28. The system was then flown to Jan Mayen, where it operated during the exercise.

The Strike Master combines two Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile launchers with the Australian-built Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle. Its design gives ground forces a mobile weapon capable of attacking enemy ships from positions along a coastline.

Although developed for an Australian Army requirement, the prototype remained in Europe for international demonstrations after Australia selected a different long-range strike system.

The Marine Corps already fields the Naval Strike Missile through the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, better known as NMESIS. That system mounts launchers on the unmanned Rogue Fires vehicle, which is based on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.

Testing the Strike Master gave Marines an opportunity to operate a different vehicle carrying a missile already familiar to the service.

Why Jan Mayen Matters

Jan Mayen is a volcanic Norwegian island located approximately 621 miles from mainland Norway. Its isolated position makes it an ideal location for testing the military’s ability to deploy and sustain forces in a remote Arctic environment.

The island also occupies an important position north of the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Gap, commonly known as the GIUK Gap.

During the Cold War, the GIUK Gap served as a strategic maritime chokepoint through which Soviet submarines and warships would have needed to pass to enter the North Atlantic. The region has again received increased attention as Russia expands its military activity in the Arctic and around the Kola Peninsula.

For NATO forces, the ability to position sensors, command centers, air-defense systems, and anti-ship missiles throughout the region could help monitor—and, if necessary, restrict—Russian naval movements.

Building an Arctic Kill Chain

Marines from Fire Support Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, and Marine Air Support Squadron 1 also established a command-and-control node on Jan Mayen.

The node connected the Marine-operated Strike Master with Norway’s National Manoeuvre Air Defence System, known as NOMADS. Integrating sensors, communications networks, and weapons from different countries allowed the participating forces to practice detecting potential threats and passing targeting information between allied units.

Norwegian Home Guard soldiers provided security for the missile system, while British Royal Marines conducted surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

Members of the Royal Marines’ Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, deployed ahead of the larger force. These specialized teams are trained to gather information and establish an initial picture of the operating environment for follow-on forces.

Practicing Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations

Operation Atlantic City 26 closely reflects the Marine Corps concept of Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations.

Under that concept, relatively small Marine units would deploy rapidly to temporary positions, establish sensors and missile batteries, and help deny enemy ships access to strategically important waters. The units would then relocate before an enemy could locate and attack them.

The exercise tested several parts of that concept, including strategic airlift, allied communications, maritime surveillance, coastal defense, and the coordination of long-range fires.

A similar exercise was conducted on Jan Mayen in September 2025. During that operation, a Royal Air Force A400M transported a Marine Corps JLTV from a pre-positioned site in Norway to the island. The vehicle was used to simulate an NMESIS launcher.

Operation Atlantic City 26 expanded that earlier effort by bringing actual coastal missile systems, air defenses, command-and-control equipment, and multinational reconnaissance forces together in one remote location.

The deployment demonstrated that Marines and their allies can move sophisticated weapons into the Arctic, connect them to a larger battlefield network, and establish a temporary coastal defense position far from an established military base.