Team Yankee/WWIII: Nordic Forces - Norwegian forces

It’s 1985 and the Cold War just got hot!

Both Norway and Denmark were quick to join NATO after its establishment in 1949. However, Sweden and Finland remain neutral, each for their own reasons, but always wary of their massive Soviet neighbor.

Norway

During the Cold War, Norway held the dubious distinction of being one of only two NATO nations to share a border with the Soviet Union. 

With the likelihood of war growing, it seemed Moscow’s priorities in Norway centered on destroying or capturing Norwegian airfields to prevent them from being utilized for offensive operations against military assets based in the nearby Kola Peninsula. This was combined with a planned offensive into northern Norway to secure these facilities for their own use. Once captured the Soviets could then use these as a base for offensive air and naval operations against NATO forces in the North Sea and North Atlantic.

Norwegian Formations

Brigaden i Nord-Norge (Brigade in Northern Norway, or Brig N) is the Norwegian Army’s (Hæren) main standing regular formation. In the event of war, it would be deployed immediately to the Finnmark border area on border containment. Bother the infantry and tanks units of this brigade are all members of the Norwegian Cavalry branch of the army.

In the mid-1980s Norway’s independent tank squadrons were assembled into armored battalions following the Swedish example and were organized as mixed formations with two squadrons of tanks and two squadrons of mechanized infantry.

Norway’s main Tank Squadrons were armed with Leopard 1 tanks. These were stationed in the north of the country where the most likely threat of Soviet attack would be directed. Though not as heavily armoured as the Soviet tanks they potentially faced, the well-trained Norwegian crews combined with the excellent 105mm L7 gun give the Leopard 1 good odds against T-55 and T-62 tanks, and with the capability of taking on T-72s with good use of concealment and movement. As well as three Tank Troops with four tanks each, a Squadron also contains an M113 Storm Troop (Infantry), an M106 107mm Mortar Troop and an NM142 Anti-tank Troop.