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The story took place at some point in The cold war. The plan started from a premise: how to contain a more than likely Soviet naval attack by one of the key maritime corridors in the Arctic Ocean? Thus the Term Bear Gap and a plan that germinated in a series of underground constructions with which Norway would put its grain of sand. Today, and after the Russian invasion in Ukraine, these secret constructions have reactivated.
The origin of the bases. As we said, during the Cold War, the strategic location of Norway, close to the then Soviet Union, carried out the country to carry out a plan: build approximately 3,000 underground facilities destined to protect aircraft, submarines and troops both Norwegians and allies before a possible attack by Moscowand thus placate the offensive.
Many of these structures, camouflaged in mountains and fjords, remained in secret even for the local population. Among them, the Bardufoss Air Base and the Naval Base of Olavsvernauthentic fortified complexes excavated in rock which had hangars, command centers, maintenance areas, fuel storage and underground exits designed to resist nuclear attacks.
The reactivation. As I counted The BBC weekenddecades after the collapse of the USSR, Norway has decided to reactivate Bardufoss and Olavsvern due to the deterioration of regional security after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the increased activity Russian military in the Arctic since the mid -2000s.
The Bardufoss Air Base, opened in 1938 and Used by Germans During World War II to protect TIRPITZ battleshipwas adapted in the postwar to protect combat planes against a possible Soviet offensive. Today, modernized and equipped to accommodate F-35 Lightning IIits main function is guarantee survival of these aircraft before threats such as kamikaze drones, whose effectiveness It has been tested In the Ukrainian conflict. Unlike improvised solutions in battlefields, such as networks or tire covers, Bardufoss offers real protection thanks to their hardened shelters under the mountain.
One of the underground bases used in the past by the United States
Olavsvern and its importance. It We explained recently. The Naval Base of Olavsvern, built from the 50s With strong financial support from NATO, it was conceived to control The so -called Bear Gapa vital maritime step between the Norwegian coast, the island of the bear and Svalbard, where they traditionally travel Russian submarines towards the Atlantic.
Olavsvern has an underground port with direct exit to the sea, dry dock, control center and large logistics facilities, protected by thick layers of Gabbro and a monumental anti-explosion door. Although Its closure in 2009 and its subsequent private sale (in A controversial operation that even allowed access to Russian vessels), in 2020 the company Wilnor Governmental Services, linked to the Norwegian Defense Ministry, He regained his control And he began his rehabilitation. Currently, the base has once again received active military presence and, As we countthe United States Navy has shown great interest in using it for its nuclear submarines.
Bear Gap. It is of a strategic term used to describe that maritime corridor between the coast of Norway, the Bear Island (Bear Island) and the Svalbard archipelago, in the Arctic Ocean. The area is considered a key step or natural strangulation (Chokepoint) where Russian submarines and warships that seek to leave from the base of the fleet of northern Russia, located on the Kola Peninsula, towards the North Atlantic.
During the cold war and even today, NATO considers this corridor a Critical point to monitordetect and, if necessary, block Russian naval forces, since it is one of the most accessible routes that connects the Barents Sea with the Atlantic. Hence, bases such as Olavsvern and other Norwegian facilities in the Arctic have so much strategic importance. Controlling or monitoring this step is essential to prevent Russian submarines with strategic (nuclear or conventional) missiles can operate freely in the Atlantic.
The Arctic Resurgence. Far from being an isolated phenomenon, the reactivation of these bases is part of a broader trend. Russia He has reopened nearly 50 military facilities Arctic of the Soviet era, while countries like Sweden They have reactivated its underground naval base of Muskö and China has built New underground complexes For submarines and command centers. They will, meanwhile, too has followed this path with his “Missile City” In the Persian Gulf.
Norway, aware of the intensification of Russian military exercises in the Arctic and their renewed interest in exploiting natural resources in the region, has resumed its defensive logic of dispersion and protection undergroundnot only for its strength, but also as an essential point of support for NATO.
Utility and limitations of bunkers. It is the last of the legs to be treated. Despite their apparent strategic value, experts warn that Reactivate old bunkers presents Important challenges. Many have been dismantled, flooded or present degraded structures, making their modernization expensive and complex. In addition, the truth is that facilities such as Olavsvern have already been identified by satellites as a potential objective for decades, reducing any type of surprise factor.
Thus, analysts also agree that underground facilities are still One of the best defenses Faced with modern aerial threats, including guided missiles, provided that their vulnerabilities are correctly updated. Norway seems to bet on resilience and deterrence, accepting that, given strategic uncertainty, underground security remains a prudent and effective option, especially in a region where Russia seems determined to project all its can.
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