Norway's Nødnett Expands Role in Civil-Military Coordination Under Cold Response Exercise

Strengthening Norway's Critical Communications Framework: How Nødnett Is bridging Civil-Military interoperability in an era of evolving defence challenges

Norway's national emergency communications network, Nødnett, is taking on an expanded strategic role as the country's Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) works to deepen interoperability between civilian and military actors. As part of this effort, new user groups are currently testing the system during the Cold Response military exercise — one of NATO's largest winter training events — focused on the reception of allied forces on Norwegian soil.

A Proven Network With Untapped Potential

Nødnett is already firmly embedded within Norway's civilian emergency preparedness ecosystem, serving emergency services, municipalities, voluntary organisations, and a broad range of private and public sector entities. The network enables rapid, secure sharing of critical information and forms a cornerstone of Norway's ability to manage daily incidents, large-scale crises, and — in the most severe scenarios — armed conflict.

While elements of the Norwegian Armed Forces already use Nødnett in contexts where the military supports civilian actors — such as police requests for military police assistance, Home Guard deployments, or explosive ordnance support — DSB has identified significant untapped potential in the reverse direction: using Nødnett to strengthen communication when civilian society supports the military, particularly during the reception of allied forces.

Testing Under Real Conditions

"To expand the use of Nødnett, we have approached defence units that have not previously used the system. As a result, the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation is now testing the use of Nødnett before and during Cold Response — an exercise in which thousands of Norwegian and allied soldiers train to defend Norway and its surrounding areas,"

said Bjørn Morten Skudsveen, Section Manager in DSB's Department for Emergency and Preparedness Communications.

The rapid and secure arrival of allied forces and materiel is a strategic necessity for Norway in a crisis or conflict situation. This demands close coordination between military and civilian actors, including regional governors, emergency services, port authorities, the business community, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Nødnett is now being positioned as a key enabler of this coordination.

"Nødnett strengthens operational logistics by bringing the total defence structure and the Armed Forces closer together. This simplifies the necessary real-time coordination while establishing shared situational awareness between all parties. The actors are mutually dependent on one another across the full spectrum from peace to crisis to conflict. Nødnett will be an important contributor,"

said Major General Anders Jernberg, Commander of the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation.

Nordic Cross-Border Interoperability

With Sweden and Finland now both NATO members, Norway has also become a potential transit country for allied forces and supplies — a development that places additional demands on cross-border coordination. Nødnett is already integrated into the Nordic civilian cooperation framework, enabling direct communication between customs and emergency services in Norway, Sweden, and Finland across their respective national emergency networks.

"This operational mobility can strengthen incident management, host nation support, and the development of a more coordinated Nordic total defence,"

said Skudsveen.

Lessons and experience gathered during Norway's designated Total Defence Year in 2026 will also feed directly into the development of the country's next-generation emergency communications network.

Key Capabilities of Nødnett

Nødnett offers secure, encrypted, and rapidly deployable communications; strong national coverage and high availability; an established interoperability framework for emergency and preparedness actors; and the capability for cross-border coordination between Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

Norway's Total Defence Year 2026

DSB and the Norwegian Armed Forces are jointly executing a series of activities throughout 2026 aimed at strengthening Norway's total defence posture. The overarching goal is to enhance the country's ability to prevent and manage security policy crises and armed conflict — including reinforcing the resilience of critical societal functions, expanding civilian capacity to support military operations, and improving the nation's ability to provide host nation support to allied forces.