The Svalbard simulation exercise illustrates an example of hybrid threat and irregular warfare set in a real-life scenario. The Archipelago of Svalbard is located in the Arctic sea, between continental Norway and the North Pole. Its peculiar characteristic is that, while it is under Norway’s sovereignty, all 46 signatories to the 1920 treaty, including Russia, have equal rights of access and commercial activities on its soil. Svalbard’s strategic location as well as its contested sovereignty makes it particularly vulnerable to external threats as countries seek to protect and advance their interests in the area. More importantly to the scope of this exercise, Svalbard’s situation is not unique. Other regions exist around the world, scattered in all five continents, that are subject to contested or unclear sovereignty. This characteristic can potentially expose another region to the same type of threats that Svalbard has to face in this exercise. Knowing and identifying irregular warfare tactics or hybrid threats in such context will give a clearer understanding on the challenges that they bring, thus leading to better formulation of preventive and responsive measure in this regard.
Svalbard Exercise Aim
Identify Irregular Warfare/Hybrid Threats (IW/HT) challenges and develop/analyze approaches to mitigate said threats and challenges in a simulated real-world crisis management exercise scenario.
Exercise Learning Objectives