Arctic Surgical Challenge – multinational training in subarctic environment

The annual Arctic Surgical Challenge (ASC) took place in a subarctic environment outside Arvidsjaur in February. Several different units from Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and the USA participated and collaborated during the multi-day training, which took place around the clock.

Training all parts of the medical chain; from casualty care at the injury site, transportation with various vehicles, war surgery, advanced medical training (AMT), and command and control, is the focus during ASC and for the participating units led by the Swedish Armed Forces Centre for Defence Medicine.

This year, foreign units from Norway, the Netherlands, and the USA participated and were grouped together with representatives from their respective defense medical units. From Sweden, K 3, K 4, and the 1st Helicopter Squadron participated with grouped medical units, but also soldiers from K 4, I 19, and the Home Guard participated in medical transport in helicopters, tracked vehicles, and snowmobiles.

ASC is led by the Swedish Armed Forces Centre for Defence Medicine, which has conducted the training for several years. Originally, it was an agreement between the chief medical officers of the Scandinavian countries who saw a great need to develop a stronger ability to operate in a subarctic environment.

The main purposes of ASC are for participants to train on their primary tasks under subarctic conditions, to train defense medicine and winter service simultaneously, and to increase and strengthen interoperability.