IFS Insights: Navigating the Arctic-Space Nexus
Norway’s security in a new era of great power rivalry
Takeaways
- As great power rivalry intensifies, maneuvering Arctic tensions is likely to remain a challenge for Norwegian security and defense in the coming years. Changed Arctic dynamics also happen to coincide with developments in another domain, outer space, similarly impacted by great power competition.
- Norwegian space efforts are closely tied to its location, and the country’s northernmost regions hosts a significant portion of its space infrastructure. Likewise, the nation’s long coastline has provided several opportunities for the space sector. Previous and current projects demonstrate the significance of security considerations in Norway’s approach to space.
- Norway’s status as a small state has been central to its approach to the space domain. Norway considers it necessary to leverage relevant assets in a bid to make itself attractive for international cooperation and valuable within NATO, and over time, space capabilities have emerged as a means to do so.
- The interconnection between the High North and space reinforces the usefulness of this approach – the Northern Flank is already strategically important to NATO, and possessing valuable space assets in the High North will make it more critical for NATO and the US to defend Norwegian territory in a conflict scenario.
