U.S. eyes Norway's Olavsvern for Arctic submarine operations

Numerous military bases worldwide leverage the natural terrain, providing them with additional protection and potential advantage during enemy attacks. Examples abound. The underground, mountainous Cheyenne military complex, a base of the U.S. Army located in Colorado, is situated inside a mountain; the Iranian underground military base "Eagle 44" (or "Oqab 44") is allegedly located under mountains; and closer to home, the Zeljava airbase, built during the Yugoslav era, is considered one of the largest underground airbases in Cold War Europe—these are just a few examples.

The Norwegian Olavsvern complex can also be added to this list. It is a former Norwegian naval base, located about 14 kilometres south of Tromsø, near the entrance to Ramfjord. Construction started in 1967, lasted nearly 40 years, and cost almost four billion Norwegian kroner. The complex was partially carved out of rock, creating an impressive structure with an area of approximately 25,000 square metres. The base consisted of workshops, offices, and ammunition depots, as well as a 340-metre long dry dock for submarines, capable of accommodating six vessels simultaneously. It also had external docks for larger ships, and a 900-metre long tunnel led into its interior.

During the Cold War, Olavsvern played a crucial role as a secret naval base in the Arctic, serving both the Norwegian Navy and NATO forces. Its structure allowed allied ships to suddenly appear at sea, causing confusion among the enemy. However, in 2002, the complex lost its status as an orlogsstasjon (naval station), and in 2009, it was closed by the government of Jens Stoltenberg. Three years later, Norwegian authorities offered the base for sale for 105 million Norwegian kroner (13 million Canadian dollars). It was ultimately sold for 38 million kroner (4.8 million Canadian dollars) to Olavsvern Group Ltd, which planned to use the facility as a service base for drilling platforms and equipment.

After the sale, the base was leased to various entities, including companies linked to Russia's Gazprom, raising concerns among numerous military experts. In 2019, a subsidiary of Wilhelmsen Group, WilNor Governmental Services Ltd, acquired a 66% stake in Olavsvern Group Ltd at the request of the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (FLO). This decision allowed Norwegian armed forces and their allies to resume using the base.

In 2020, information began to surface about plans to use Olavsvern as a base for American submarines (the last such submarine appeared there in 2009). The War Zone noted that since then, Americans have visited the complex multiple times and held talks on potentially leasing the facility. The service even reached out to officials from the U.S. and Norway for comments on the matter. Both sides denied that such an agreement had been made so far. However, this does not rule out further American efforts to return to Olavsvern.

The War Zone points out that access to the complex could benefit U.S. Navy operations in the Arctic. It mainly refers to the very favourable location of the base, which would facilitate patrols in the nearby Barents Sea and Arctic region, waters heavily used by the Russian fleet.

Moreover, it is a ready facility with valuable equipment that could provide support and facilitate the maintenance of nuclear-powered submarines. The Americans could use a ready, leased facility without the need to start building a new base or revamping an existing one. Presence in Olavsvern would also be evidence of their significant commitment in the Arctic, an area of interest to both Russia's and the United States' national interests.