The U.S. Air Force announced on its website for Europe that its C-130J Super Hercules crews are testing their ability to operate in the Arctic’s demanding conditions during Northern Viking 26, a multinational exercise aimed at strengthening NATO readiness and cooperation in the increasingly strategic High North.
The 37th Airlift Squadron, based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, deployed two C-130J aircraft to Iceland for the exercise, which runs Aug. 22 through Sept. 3. The squadron arrived Aug. 21 to conduct specialized operations alongside NATO allies and test its ability to operate in an austere northern environment.
Northern Viking comes as greater accessibility in the Arctic and High North creates new maritime transit routes and opportunities for resource development, increasing activity and strategic competition in the region. Iceland’s position at the crossroads of North Atlantic and Arctic routes has made the island a key location for regional security.
The United States and Iceland have maintained a defense partnership for 75 years, a relationship that remains important to North Atlantic security as the Arctic assumes greater strategic significance.
Northern Viking is a biennial military exercise hosted by Iceland and led by the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet. Eleven NATO nations are participating in the 2026 iteration, with training events taking place across Iceland.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Jill Ruane, a 37th Airlift Squadron pilot, said operating in unfamiliar environments helps sharpen unit readiness.
“Our participation in Northern Viking this year is super important because we’re working with other countries, other branches, other air platforms, and it’s really great training for us,” Ruane said.
Northern Viking 26 is designed to bring U.S., Icelandic and NATO allied activities in the Arctic into an overarching operational approach intended to support stability and prosperity in the region. Its missions also give participating forces opportunities to improve their ability to operate together.
The exercise includes missions ranging from rapid power projection to humanitarian assistance. For the 37th Airlift Squadron, the training puts both aircrews and the C-130J through the challenges posed by extreme northern conditions.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lydia Knight, a 37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, said the C-130J’s versatility allows crews to practice procedures they could need during real-world operations.
“This airplane is very versatile; it can do a lot so it’s really fun when we get to go out and actually put those types of things to practice,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lydia Knight, 37th AS loadmaster. “Especially here in the higher regions where it’s colder, we have procedures that we get to do, so it’s really fun to actually implement those. That way if circumstances arise where we have to do them, we know we have the skills and the wherewithal to execute.”
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tessa Townsend, a 37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, said crews were called on to conduct a range of missions during Northern Viking, including cargo drops, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, and formation flights.
The squadron operates the “slick” variant of the C-130J, a configuration designed for adaptability rather than a single specialized mission.
“We’re not modified for any specific mission set, so we can configure to a lot of other things,” Townsend said. “We move people, cargo, pretty much anything, that needs to be tactically moved. We’re your guys.”
While squadron crews are trained across a range of mission sets, operating in the High North exposes them to additional conditions and challenges. Ruane said the exercise also provided opportunities for tactical flying, including low-altitude operations permitted by the Icelandic hosts.
“We had the opportunity to practice at landing zones which are different than your typical airport,” Ruane said, “We landed on a beach for example and a grass field. This airplane can really do it all.”
The ability to operate without established airport infrastructure can be important for combat operations and personnel recovery. Training on unimproved surfaces can expand operational access and reduce reliance on permanent runways, giving allied airlift forces more options to disperse, position and sustain personnel and equipment.
The exercise also gives crews opportunities to practice precision resupply missions that could be used in both military and emergency situations.
“We’re working with a special platform of airdrop where we can guide it exactly where we want it to go. That really gives us versatility in being able to resupply people in various situations,” Knight said. “If anything happens with this inclement weather, someone’s stuck somewhere they need food or water, we’re able to get that directly to them. Especially in places like Iceland where weather can be a challenge for a lot of different aircraft.”
Beyond testing aircraft and crews against the High North’s weather and terrain, Northern Viking 26 is intended to strengthen cooperation among U.S. forces and participating NATO allies.
Ruane said the 37th Airlift Squadron regularly has opportunities to interact with allied personnel at Ramstein Air Base, but Northern Viking takes that collaboration further by putting multinational forces together in an operational training environment.
“We’re getting to stretch our cultural competency muscles that allow us to interact with different people from all over the world who have different ways of doing things,” Ruane said. “It’s really important to understand that every person is different, every country is different, but we still have to be able to work as a team to be able to provide security in the High North region and all over the globe.”
Lockheed Martin and Cobb County
The Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta has been a major employer in Cobb County since 1951, when the Lockheed Corporation, a predecessor of Lockheed Martin, took over the former site of the WWII Bell Bomber plant.
The C-130 program is the largest program operating at the Marietta facility. The plant currently produces the C-130J Super Hercules (see the company’s C-30J brochure for more information).
The Marietta plant also provides ongoing support for the C-5 Galaxy, which celebrated its 50th year in operation in 2018. The C-5 Galaxy is expected to remain in service until 2045.
The Marietta location also supports the P-3 Orion, and manufactures the center wings for the F-35.