Constant flights by spy planes is just one of the signs of the alliance's growing presence near Russia's borders – a process that has intensified since relations between the country and the West started to deteriorate in 2014.
Despite being a member of the alliance since its inception, Norway has long remained cautious about letting in a massive NATO contingent. This approach, originally designed to avoid an escalation of tensions with the Soviet Union, was seemingly abandoned several years ago as the country has been agreeing to more NATO troop deployments, as well as creating a foothold for other NATO projects and activities united by a single goal – to counter alleged “Russian aggression”.
Among these activities is the construction of the Globus III radar, which was largely sponsored by the US military and will work in conjunction with Globus II – another radar created to “collect intelligence data against ballistic missiles”. While never officially being recognised as targeted at Russia, both radars were built rather close to the country's borders and hence will be able to serve not only as an early warning system, but also to monitor Moscow's tests of new missiles.
Oslo and Washington signed an agreement in 2018 doubling rotational US troop deployments and scaled it back down only in August 2020, when the White House shifted its posture regarding European deployments. Apart from the boost in the contingent, the US might be seeking an increase in its nuclear…
