NATO soldiers say they can’t let their guns get too warm if they want them to work on frozen battlefields

• Freezing weapons is one of many challenges facing NATO soldiers in Arctic conflicts.

• Soldiers must be careful not to let the harsh environment cause their guns to malfunction.

• But they also can’t let the gun get too hot, as that would create new problems.

SODANKYLA, Finland — NATO soldiers face many challenges in the harsh Arctic environment, and the possibility of their weapons freezing is one of the ones to which they are most vulnerable.

Keeping guns, drones and other equipment in the right conditions is no easy task above the Arctic Circle, where temperatures often drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and heavy snow can bring unwanted moisture that can cause interference and other problems.

NATO military personnel training in northern Finland told Business Insider during a visit to the region in late January that they couldn’t let the gun get too hot if they wanted it to work in this climate.

Major Mikael Ekio, leader of the Arctic detachment of the Finnish Army’s Jäger Brigade, said the biggest problem facing weapons in these conditions is temperature changes. The brigade is conducting winter warfare training and cold weather survival courses for about 20 NATO soldiers.

The month-long course, held in Finland’s northern Lapland region, teaches NATO soldiers how to live, move and fight in the harsh Arctic environment.

This type of training has become a growing priority for NATO as officials call for stronger Arctic defenses as Russian and Chinese activity in the High North increases. Western armies may find themselves fighting on a frozen battlefield as the alliance and its rivals vie for influence in this strategic region.

“My hands are my worst enemy”

Like the other northern regions of NATO’s seven Arctic nations, Lapland is a difficult place to operate in during the winter. Biting cold, limited sunlight, and deep snowfall forced the troops to move slowly and cautiously. Limited support infrastructure makes maintenance in the north more difficult.

In the Arctic, survival is only the first challenge. Troops must also keep their weapons functioning; even minor equipment malfunctions can give the enemy an advantage.

Vincent Lemelin, one of the participants in Captain Canada’s Arctic Warfare training course, said all technology is struggling in this part of the world, especially anything that needs to be charged, like drones.

Lemelin said anything covered in snow will eventually become wet, so soldiers try to keep their guns cool at all times to avoid melting the snow and introducing moisture that could freeze and prevent it from functioning properly.

Another course participant, Finnish Lieutenant Laura Lähdekorpi, said she carries a brush with her to clear snow off her gun, especially from sensitive areas like optics, which are more likely to accumulate snow. Soldiers are trained to make sure their weapons are dry to prevent anything from freezing.

Lähdekorpi said firing cold shots was a challenge. Her outer gloves were too big, so she took them off and used the thin lining to pull the trigger, but this left her hand exposed to the metal frame of the weapon, keeping it cold.

“I think my hands are my worst enemy,” she said. “I have to keep them warm.”

Proper weapon maintenance doesn’t end when training stops. Soldiers are taught to keep their guns at a stable ambient temperature. For example, bringing them into a warm tent may cause condensation and subsequent re-freezing.

Soldiers cannot leave their guns outside their tents because they could be stolen under real-world conditions. Instead, they bring weapons indoors but leave them on the ground or in a space that’s nearly as cold as outside.

Proper firearm temperature management isn’t the only equipment dilemma in the harsh Arctic. Drones are also relatively limited in their capabilities, especially in extremely cold conditions where temperatures drop below -14 degrees Fahrenheit.

During a combat exercise during the Arctic war, soldiers practiced using drones to collect targeting data and call in artillery fire against simulated enemy forces made up of Finnish conscripts.

The use of small drones for reconnaissance, targeting and fire support missions is standard practice in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and despite their limitations, they are expected to continue to be a key part of the kill chain in future conflicts.

Major Aikio of Yeager Brigade said that drones require special handling in arctic conditions. Exposing them to snowmobiles before launch can result in damage from the elements, and once airborne, ice on the small propellers and limited visibility can quickly reduce performance.

Learning how to keep weapons and other equipment operational in such an environment is one of the many skills NATO soldiers learn to master in Finland, about a third of which is located above the Arctic Circle. The country also understood cold weather fighting and was therefore well suited to teach the rest of the Alliance about winter warfare.

Canadian captain Lemelin described the course as “a humbling experience”; one that is critical for the NATO alliance as Western militaries grapple with a rapidly changing Arctic environment and an expanding adversary footprint.

Read the original article on Business Insider