The scenario shifts the opening pressure away from the expected central German front. It considers a manufactured border incident, a northern assault supported by major Soviet formations, and an amphibious move against Svalbard. The Warsaw Pact could mass many more tanks and artillery pieces than NATO had planned to deploy on the northern flank. Norway's defenders would fight hard, but sparse infrastructure and the small number of specialised cold-weather formations make rapid reinforcement difficult. Committing British Royal Marines or American Marines north also competes with other NATO tasks.
Chapter · 2:59:11-3:05:30
Norway, Svalbard, and an unexpected northern offensive
A Soviet move into Norway or Svalbard could exploit NATO's focus on central Germany and expose the difficulty of moving cold-weather forces north.