High altitude weather warfare is as much a battle against nature as it is against adversaries. From NATO forces training in the Arctic to India’s decades-long deployment at Siachen, militaries around the world continue to grapple with the brutal realities of extreme environments.
For India, the lessons of Siachen, forty years of holding the highest battlefield on earth, offer unique insights into the challenges Western forces are now relearning in the Arctic.
The parallels highlight the role of geography, endurance, and adaptation in shaping military readiness for a world where frozen frontiers are becoming new arenas of contest.
The Cold As An Adversary
‘The Wall Street Journal’ recently reported how the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops are rushing to Northern Europe to train in Arctic warfare.
This is not a familiar battlefield. Militaries have not clashed in the high north in generations. Yet the Arctic has re-emerged as a zone of tension. Melting ice has unlocked new shipping lanes, potential mineral resources, and strategic bases.
For soldiers, however, the biggest enemy is not always another army, but the cold itself.
Sustaining troops in subzero conditions for weeks at a time remains one of the hardest challenges for any military. Batteries die, lubricants thicken, drones freeze, and even basic survival requires extraordinary effort.
Russia has steadily upgraded its Arctic capabilities for decades. The Northern Fleet, headquartered on the Kola Peninsula, carries much of Russia’s second-strike nuclear capability with ballistic missile submarines and cruise missiles.
Moscow has fortified bases, built new airfields, and stationed missile systems across the region.
China has also carved out a presence, even without territory in the Arctic. Under the banner of science, it has operated dual-use ships and sent bombers northward.
Earlier this year, US Northern Command chief Gen. Gregory Guillot described China’s footprint in the region as “unprecedented.” Beijing’s growing influence in Greenland and the wider Arctic reflects a long-term strategic bet on the melting north.
For NATO, this means any confrontation with Russia could involve the northern flank, with forces flowing into Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Hence, there is an urgency to train troops to fight and survive in these conditions.
The Primitive Nature Of Arctic War
Modern war is dominated by drones and precision systems, but in the Arctic, many of these tools lose effectiveness.
In Ukraine, the skies are filled with drones. In the north, small drones are ineffective due to the need for de-icing systems, larger engines, and different fuel. The northern lights themselves interfere with radio signals.
The harsh climate strips warfare down to its basics. Soldiers must depend on snow caves, skis, reindeer meat, and sheer physical stamina. As Swedish instructor Maj. Fredrik Flink puts it: “If you want to hold territory, you have to rely on soldiers and snowsuits.”
Even elite troops are shocked by how fast the cold drains them. A soldier can lose 3,000 calories a day just by existing in freezing conditions. Thin, gym-toned bodies are poorly suited to survival. Within days, fatigue and cold shock set in.
Veterans recall frostbite that never healed, socks frozen overnight, and the mental strain of endless subzero days. The cold affects judgment. Soldiers forget to use their equipment or lose the will to light a fire.
Training, therefore, includes psychological conditioning. NATO troops are taught to camp in the open snow, manage sleepless nights under constant summer daylight, fish under ice, and even slaughter reindeer for food.
Norway’s Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol is a prime example operating deep behind enemy lines for 100 days, covering 1,500 miles with just one resupply.
Denmark’s Step In Greenland
The changing security environment is also forcing Denmark to rethink its approach. Copenhagen is creating its first dedicated military unit in Greenland.
For decades, Arctic defense was managed centrally through the Joint Arctic Command. Now troops will be stationed locally, reflecting the need for faster response and Greenland’s growing importance.
Russia’s missile deployments, new bases, and China’s investments in Greenland have made the Arctic a contested zone.
Denmark’s move also highlights how smaller Arctic nations are adjusting to the new era of great-power rivalry in the north.
India’s Own Cold Frontier: Siachen
For India, the challenges of Arctic warfare are not distant lessons; they echo daily reality on the Siachen Glacier. About 10,000 kilometers from the Arctic, Siachen sits at the junction of three nuclear powers: India, Pakistan, and China. It is the world’s only nuclear triangle, perched 20,000 feet above sea level.
On April 13, 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot and took control of Siachen. The glacier stretches nearly 80 kilometers and is a wedge between Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to the west and the Shaksgam Valley, ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963, to the north. The eastern flank borders the Depsang plains, where India and China faced off in 2020.
Holding Siachen has strategic value. It blocks a potential China-Pakistan link-up, secures the approaches to the Karakoram Pass, and prevents hostile forces from dominating the glacier that overlooks Ladakh.
The Brutality Of Siachen
Life in Siachen mirrors, and often exceeds, the hardships NATO now faces in the Arctic. Temperatures swing from plus 20 during the day to minus 30 at night. Winds reach 120 kmph. Soldiers suffer from frostbite, altitude sickness, insomnia, and even disorientation, which makes them babble incoherently.
The human body struggles to cope. Troops must undergo a week-long training course before deployment. They are pushed to 80 percent of endurance limits to ensure only the most resilient are posted forward. Withdrawal, silence, or refusal to drink water are seen as early danger signals.
The Indian Army has built a unique system of high-altitude warfare training. Institutions like the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) and Siachen Battle School (SBS) train soldiers in acclimatization, ice climbing, avalanche survival, and cold-weather weapon handling.
Lessons From 40 Years
For four decades, Siachen has given India a rare depth of experience in high-altitude warfare. Unlike NATO troops who arrive for seasonal exercises, Indian soldiers live and fight in these conditions year after year. The glacier has shaped India’s doctrine, equipment, and logistics.
Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) unveiled “HimKavach,” a new uniform designed for conditions between +20°C and -60°C. It reflects how the Indian industry is now supporting the specific requirements of this unique battlefield.
India’s expertise also comes from geography. Unlike the Arctic, where troops can rely on maritime supply lines, Siachen requires aerial resupply at 20,000 feet.
The logistical burden is immense, but it has also forced India to innovate in transport, shelters, and survival techniques.
Why The Comparison Matters
The NATO push into Arctic training and India’s long history in Siachen converge on a common truth: cold weather warfare is a test of endurance more than firepower.
For India, the Arctic debate is not just a distant geopolitical shift. It validates what its soldiers have lived for forty years on Siachen, that survival in frozen battlefields requires preparation, adaptation, and sheer resilience.
As the Arctic melts and new frontiers open, India’s Siachen experience could offer lessons not just for NATO, but also for its own strategy.
With China investing in the Arctic and pressing in Ladakh, and with Pakistan watching from the west, India cannot afford to see its high-altitude expertise as only a defensive posture.
The battles of the future may be fought where ice and rock test human limits as much as weapon systems. Whether in the Arctic or the Himalayas, the cold will remain the most unrelenting adversary.
- Shubhangi Palve is a defense and aerospace journalist. Before joining the EurAsian Times, she worked for ET Prime. She has over 15 years of extensive experience in the media industry, spanning print, electronic, and online domains.
- Contact the author at shubhapalve (at) gmail.com
