Russia may respond to the deployment of American Mk 70 missile launchers in Norway

Russia could deploy its own advanced weapons to neutralize the US missile threat in Norway. Greg Simons, a political scientist and professor at Daffodil International University in Dhaka (Bangladesh), stated this in an interview with Lenta.ru.

Earlier it became known that the United States deployed a Mk 70 launcher on Norwegian territory during military exercises. It was created on the basis of the Mk 41 ship-based launcher and converted for land missions.

The United States regularly deploys similar weapons during military exercises in Japan, as well as Australia and the Philippines, which causes protests from Russia. The Mk 70 is located in the Norwegian city of Trondheim, 1000 kilometers from the Murmansk region in Russia.

This is the second appearance of the Mk 70 launcher in the Baltic Sea. The United States deployed it for the first time on the Danish island of Bornholm in 2023.

The actions of Washington and Oslo provoked an immediate response from Moscow. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called this event a destabilizing act on the part of NATO.

“At the same time, when implementing plans and specific practical measures for the deployment of Western ground-based INF missiles in the region, it is not only not hidden, but also the intention of the North Atlantic bloc to acquire extensive potential for launching missile strikes deep into the territory of our country is pointedly emphasized,” the diplomat noted.

Zakharova emphasized that missile weapons can be involved in aggressive actions of NATO countries against Russia to solve strategic problems.

The Kremlin also commented on the situation. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov called military construction in Norway a security threat.

Peskov emphasized that this is a reason for Russia to take additional security measures, which the defense department and other services are doing.

As Simons pointed out, the US action is similar to the deployment of nuclear weapons in Turkey in 1962. According to him, this could lead to a new Caribbean crisis, which will unfold in Northern Europe or the Arctic.

At the same time, the researcher emphasized that Russia’s response will not necessarily be military in nature.

As State Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik noted earlier, the deployment of American missiles in Norway is intended to complicate transportation along the Northern Sea Route.

“This is all aimed, I think, at the Northern Sea Route, because it can change the entire logistics chain in favor of the Russian Federation. China feels good about this. This is a geopolitical struggle that is already underway. The threat of being hit is a serious thing,” he said.

The trade route is attracting increasing interest from major economies looking to bypass hotspots.

As Simons pointed out, the actions of the United States and Norway are not a mere coincidence - they are a deliberate attempt to thwart Russian interests in the Arctic.

The deployment of American Mk 70 launchers in Norway coincided with attempts by Washington and Oslo to establish contacts with Moscow. On September 5, US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Russia to discuss prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis.

At the same time, the press secretary of the joint headquarters of the Norwegian Armed Forces (AF) Rune Haarstad said that Oslo wants to hold consultations with Moscow on preventing incidents on the high seas by the end of 2026.

As Simons noted, it is no coincidence that US military maneuvers are taking place in parallel with the negotiations.

The expert also pointed to Norway's behavior in this situation.

“Such negotiations about the sea are an attempt to soften any possible Russian response to this provocation, as well as a violation of the Norwegian constitution. Although Western countries are already far from being reliable or trustworthy partners. I’m not sure whether they consider themselves smart or savvy,” the expert concluded.