British Army forces have conducted a powerful display of firepower and military readiness near the Russian border in northern Finland, sending a clear and calculated warning to the Kremlin. In the icy expanse of the Arctic Circle—just south of the so-called home of Santa Claus—cutting-edge Apache helicopters worth £50 million (around 2.3 billion Ukrainian Hryvnia) roared into action, simulating battlefield conditions at high intensity.
The exercises featured state-of-the-art Apache attack helicopters firing high-velocity Hellfire missiles at mock enemy targets more than eleven kilometres away. These Hellfire missiles, designed to destroy heavily armoured vehicles such as tanks, were launched at speeds of over 1,600 kilometres per hour. A single missile, weighing roughly 45 kilograms, can devastate a tank or flatten a structure, demonstrating the lethality of these precision-guided weapons.
Troops rapidly refuelled and rearmed the helicopters in under an hour, showcasing British logistical efficiency and battlefield readiness. In one drill, soldiers carefully loaded Hellfires and 30mm ammunition, demonstrating how pilots can even aim their guns simply by looking at a target—thanks to advanced helmet technology.
The Arctic exercise, held in Lapland amid snowy conditions unusual for May, marks one of the most visible and forceful NATO-aligned signals to the Russian dictator in recent months. With drones scouting ahead for tactical precision, the British Army also demonstrated its evolving battlefield strategy—emphasising mobility, speed, and technological superiority.
Swedish Archer artillery systems were also deployed. Costing approximately £3 million each (around 140 million Ukrainian Hryvnia), they are capable of striking targets 50 kilometres away with pinpoint accuracy. British forces now operate 14 of these systems, which can move, deploy, fire, and retreat in under two minutes—an essential survival tactic in the drone-heavy warfare emerging from lessons learned in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, British M270 rocket systems took part in mobility drills, demonstrating rapid redeployment tactics to evade enemy counterstrikes. With a range of up to 84 kilometres, these systems allow troops to hit deep targets while staying mobile and hidden from Russian surveillance and missile retaliation.
Commanders highlighted how the devastating war in Ukraine has informed every aspect of these Arctic drills—from drone use to rapid redeployment and the urgent need for adaptable, mobile units that avoid becoming static targets.
