18 Mar NFM Group visits Porsanger Battalion
NFM had the honor of visiting the Porsanger Battalion in the Arctic region of Northern Norway to witness them train in extremely harsh winter conditions.
The Porsanger Battalion was established in May 2020, and consists of mechanized infantry, reconnaissance units and support elements. The battalion is located in Porsangmoen – a garrison with a long and rich military history. It is planned that the battalion will grow further in the coming years.
The battalion is one of the most northern NATO fighting forces, so its presence is significant for the alliance. The close proximity to the Russian border requires the unit to respond to any threat at any time immediately. This is a vast task as the area they secure is the same size as Denmark.
Finnmark is an arctic location where winters are long and harsh. Without the proper training, people will die there in the ever-present strong winds, extremely low temperatures and lack of sunlight. It is by no means an easy place to live if you are not used to the climate.
For the members of the Porsanger Battalion, this is their domain, their playground. They enjoy the extremities and have adopted their training to include lessons learned from the tribal Sami people who have lived there for hundreds of years; mobility, hunting, fishing and respect for the environment.
In fact, their standard-issue knife is a Sami tribal knife used for multiple purposes, including cutting wood and, of course, defence. They wear the knife with great pride.
The majority of personnel in the battalion are conscripts. As the Company Commander, Lieutenant Coronal Ronny Bratli states:
Many young soldiers arrive here from all over the country, and many do not have extreme winter weather training. It can be a shock to some of them, but they adapt very quickly with the expert training and equipment they receive. We have had visitors from special operations forces worldwide that are envious of the training and equipment we have here. By Norwegian terms, the equipment is standard, but it is considered to be very good on an international comparison.
NFM Visit
We were extremely fortunate to have been given permission to visit the battalion during their training.
It is by no means an easy task to head to the north of the country to take part in a military exercise, logistically. Pallets of equipment were sent, ridiculous amounts of checked in luggage on the aircraft, and not to forget the winter clothing required.
Our content manager, Adam Read, learned this the hard way, being an Australian/Norwegian whose personal winter hiking boots were simply not up to the task. After the first hour of a seven hour snow scooter exercise in minus ten plus wind (minus 20 celsius), his feet were wet and stayed that way for the rest of the day.
NFM was allocated a sniper team of six soldiers and their Sergeant to film doing training with various exercises. This included a seven-hour snow scooter trip to the mountains outside the base, sniper firing with the HK 417 rifle, an assault on a location with a CV90 armored personal carrier, and regular training. The team was very professional and jumped at any chance to do something with us.
NFM equipment used
For us at NFM, it is imperative to see our latest products used by soldiers under extreme conditions. Our Interface Manager, Sergei Moore (former Special Forces Operator), and Product Manager, Frank Rebnord (former Policeman and Army Recon), were on hand to assist them with the equipment.
We would like to thank the Porsanger Battalion for the honour of spending time with them. We had a great time and are looking forward to sharing the content we produced during our visit.
Porsanger Battalion slogan:
“Der ulvens ører er, er ulvetennene nær”
In English:
“Where wolf’s ears are, wolf’s teeth are near” from the Völsunga saga.
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