From August 22 to September 3, 2026, units of NATO’s Standing NATO Mission in the North Atlantic (SNMG1), including frigate Auvergne , participated in the Northern Viking 26 naval warfare exercise off the coast of Iceland, demonstrating the high level of interoperability between French and Alliance assets.
The units of NATO’s Standing Naval Mission Group 1 (SNMG1) participated for two weeks in the joint exercise Northern Viking. During this exercise, the ships, commanded by a French staff, were able to test their anti-submarine and surface warfare capabilities in an inter-allied environment.
Auvergne integrated into Task Group 441.01, thus conducted several phases of training in the cold waters of Iceland and faced changing weather.
It particularly distinguished itself in a naval warfare scenario. The frigate’s objective was to detect an enemy submarine and engage it using the various assets on board, notably the Caïman Marine helicopter from Flotilla 33F. The maritime units also benefited from the agility and aerial vision of a German P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, which conducted surveillance flights over the exercise area. Throughout the joint tracking phase, the ships of the force demonstrated excellent coordination to exert pressure on the enemy submarine and successfully complete the mission.
Alongside the tactical aspect, the units carried out numerous refueling operations at sea, successively with the German supply ships, Rohn and Berlin.
The success of this training demonstrates the high interoperability of French resources and crews, capable of operating quickly and effectively within a permanent Alliance force.
