Italy Norway Defence Cooperation: Crosetto and Sandvik Focus on Arctic Security, Air Defence and Undersea Domain

Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto held talks with his Norwegian counterpart Tore O. Sandvik during an official visit to Norway, with both sides pledging to deepen bilateral defence cooperation and placing the Arctic and the High North at the centre of their agenda, the Italian Ministry of Defence said on its official X account on October 27, 2026.

Arctic and High North at the centre of the talks

According to the ministry, Crosetto described the meeting as friendly and constructive and said both governments share a clear will to ensure continuity and give new momentum to defence relations, laying the foundations for closer and more regular cooperation between Italy and Norway.

The discussion centred on the growing strategic relevance of the Arctic and the High North for Euro-Atlantic security, freedom of navigation and the protection of critical infrastructure. Norway, which shares a border with Russia in the far north, plays a central role in allied surveillance of the region, where the security of subsea cables and energy pipelines has become a growing concern for European governments.

Italy reaffirms its NATO commitments

Crosetto said the two ministers confirmed Italy’s commitment to the region and the Alliance, including through participation in NATO Forward Land Forces (FLF), joint exercises, and research and innovation initiatives. Italian units have trained in Norway before, including Italian marines who took part in the Norwegian-led Exercise Cold Response 22 alongside US forces.

The Italian minister also stressed the need for a stronger European defence that is complementary to NATO, able to take on greater responsibilities and to overcome today’s fragmentation through common capabilities, shared standards and closer integration between armed forces, industry and research.

Air defence, cyber, space and the undersea domain

According to the statement, particular attention was paid to integrated air defence, the cyber and space domains, and the maritime domain with a specific focus on the underwater dimension. The ministers also discussed opportunities to strengthen investment and industrial cooperation between the two countries.

The ministry did not announce any specific agreements, contracts or procurement decisions following the meeting.

What comes next

The talks in Norway follow a series of recent meetings between Crosetto and European counterparts, including an E5 defence ministers’ meeting in Paris. Further details on concrete follow-up steps in Italian-Norwegian defence cooperation had not been released at the time of publication.

Featured image: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Coover / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons