Why does NATO test explosives in Iceland?

Once a year, Exercise Northern Challenge occurs in Keflavik, Iceland, hosted at the Icelandic Coast Guard facility. 250 people and several robots come together from 17 countries to practice responding to terrorist attacks. This year the event lasted 11 days (8th September-20th September.)

Over 600 bombs are prepared for the process, to be tested in cars, underwater, bags, ships, airplanes and many other scenarios. These are simulated exercises from bombs that have been found in the world, tested to improve our understanding of their impacts and develop responses.

Exercise Northern Challenge is an opportunity for skill and knowledge sharing: preparing members of NATO, their programme Partner for Peace, and Nordic nations to react to terrorist attacks and improve training.

It is a unique opportunity: as Commander Keith Mabbot from the Royal Navy, explains:

“the freedoms we have here, being able to operate in a realistic environment with challenging conditions on land and in harbours is something unique… and we can’t replicate that anywhere else.”

Find out where else the UK Armed Forces are deployed here: