(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global) BRUSSELS, Belgium – On Wednesday, experts from NATO, Allied countries, industry and the innovation community met at NATO's first Arctic Space Forum in Helsinki, Finland, to explore how space-based capabilities can strengthen deterrence, resilience and situational awareness in the High North.

NATO deputy secretary general Radmila Shekerinska and Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen opened the event. In her address, the Deputy Secretary General highlighted the critical importance of space in keeping the Arctic region safe.

The deputy secretary general and minister Häkkänen were later joined by the ministers of defence from Norway, Denmark and the minister of foreign affairs from Iceland for a fireside chat. Together, they discussed the strategic relevance of the Arctic region for trade, transport and communications between North America and Europe, and the challenges to Arctic security, including climate change, rising global competition in the region, and Russia's increased military presence. They further explored how space-based solutions, including commercial ones, can help enhance NATO's surveillance capacity and its broader deterrence and defence.

The Arctic Space Forum provided a unique platform to enhance NATO cooperation with space industry. Discussions will help inform the implementation of NATO's Commercial Space Strategy, which was approved in February 2025.

While in Finland, the deputy secretary general participated in the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) ministerial meeting and visited the Merihaka civilian shelter. She also met minister of foreign affairs, Elina Valtonen and other senior national officials.

Meanwhile, the Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office reports that United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, arrived at Morón Air Base, Spain, November 8, 2025, to begin multilateral training under Bomber Task Force (BTF) Europe 26-1.

The deployment strengthens coordination and cohesion with Allied and partner Air Forces, including Finland, Lithuania and Sweden. Operating from Morón, the aircraft will fly training missions across Europe, supporting deterrence and defence operations along NATO's Eastern Flank and in the High North.

Missions in northern regions are starting to integrate under NATO's new Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Bodø in Norway, inaugurated in October 2025. The new command node enhances NATO's ability to oversee and coordinate air operations across the Nordic and Arctic regions, complementing existing CAOCs in Uedem, Germany, and Torrejón, Spain.

CAOC Bodø expands NATO's Command and Control (C2) network alongside CAOCs Uedem in Germany and Torrejón in Spain.

In addition to hosting this iteration of the BTF, Spain's own CAOC Torrejón continues to direct air policing and defensive operations in the Alliance's southern airspace, working in coordination with CAOC Bodø in the High North to enable seamless Allied airpower across Europe.

By strategically deploying the BTF through multilateral training, a credible deterrent is maintained along NATO's Eastern Flank. The activities demonstrate NATO's capacity to conduct integrated, multi-domain operations from the Mediterranean to the Arctic, maintaining a credible, defensive presence to deter aggression and preserve peace.

The post NATO, Industry and Innovators discuss Arctic space security: US Air Force B-52s deploy to Spain, bolster Eastern Flank and High North appeared first on Caribbean News Global.

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