2e REI, 1er REC: Exercise Cold Response 26 | French Foreign Legion Information

In March 2026, Exercise Cold Response 26 is underway across northern Norway and northern Finland. French forces are among the allied troops taking part in the Arctic training event, including infantry and cavalry units of the French Foreign Legion.

Cold Response is a Norwegian-led winter exercise held every two years. It focuses on allied operations in extreme cold-weather conditions. This year, the main field phase runs from March 9 to 19, with activity in Finland extending through March 20. About 32,500 troops from 14 allied nations participate, including Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Türkiye, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Belgium. The purpose of the exercise is to strengthen NATO’s northern defense, improve interoperability, and rehearse the reception, movement, and sustainment of allied forces in the High North.

French participation includes both mountain troops in Finland and legionnaires in Norway. The French Foreign Legion is represented by the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) and the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC). The 2e REI provides the infantry element — its men, equipped with Griffon armored personnel carriers, train at squad, platoon, and company level. The 1er REC, for its part, provides the motorized cavalry component, supporting ground maneuver in Arctic conditions with Jaguar combat vehicles.

The Foreign Legion is not new to Cold Response, the legionnaires have been part of the exercise series for a long time. Norway also holds historical significance for the Legion — it was here, in May 1940, that legionnaires defeated German forces at the Battle of Narvik, during the early stage of World War II.

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