Combat and crisis response equipment is staged inside Norwegian caves as a part of the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program Norway prior to the start of Exercise Cold Response 2016. In August of 2014 the U.S. Marines, in coordination with their Norwegian counterparts, conductied a pre-planned Single Ship Movement and offload of military equipment from a Maritime Prepositioning Force ship in the Trøndelag region of Norway. Specific equipment which greatly increased the program’s readiness include M1A1 Main Battle Tanks, Tank Retrievers, Armored Breaching Vehicles, Amphibious Assault Vehicles, Expanded Capacity Vehicle (ECV) Gun Trucks and several variants of the MTVR 7 ½ ton trucks. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Master Sgt. Chad McMeen F-16 Fighting Falcons from Aviano Air Base, Italy, taxi to their hangars at Bodø Main Air Station, Norway, Feb. 27, 2016, before Exercise Cold Response 16. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff. Sgt. R.J. Biermann The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) transits the Namsos Fjord in Norway during Exercise Cold Response 2016. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Murray An F-16 from the Royal Norwegian Air Force taking off from Bodø Main Air Station to escort a B-52 bomber over Namsos. The flyover marked the beginning of the winter exercise Cold Response. Norwegian MoD photo by Gard Eirik Seter Marines fire an M777 155mm howitzer. Before Cold Response 2016, the U.S. Marine Corps attended winter training at Camp Rena. Norwegian MoD photo by Anette Ask The Royal Norwegian Navy frigate Roald Amundsen and Royal Netherlands Navy amphibious assault ship Johan de Witt during Exercise Cold Response 2016. Norwegian MoD photo by Mats Hjelmeland A Telemark Battalion Leopard 2A4NO flanked by two Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tanks, shown during winter training with instructors from the Telemark Battalion at Camp Rena. Norwegian MoD photo by Anette Ask A U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft at Bardufoss A Station in Norway. Norwegian MoD photo by Ole-Sverre Haugli A B-52 Strategic Bomber and escorting Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16s pass over Royal Norwegian Navy frigates Thor Heyerdahl Roald Amundsen, attending DV-day near Namsos, during exercise Cold Response 2016. Norwegian MoD photo by Julie Kristiansen Johansen U.S. Marines with Combined Arms Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, conduct mounted patrols during Exercise Cold Response 16 at Spravo, Norway, March 6, 2016. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Rebecca Floto Swedish soldiers during exercise Cold Response 2016. Norwegian MoD photo by Anette Ask A Norwegian Leopard 2A4 demonstrates tank driving in icy conditions. Before Cold Response 2016, the U.S. Marine Corps attended winter training with instructors from the Telemark Battalion at Camp Rena. Norwegian MoD photo by Anette Ask A Royal British Marine sets up security during Exercise Cold Response 16 in Norway, March 3, 2016. U.S. photo released by Sgt. Kirstin Merrimarahajara Before Cold Response 2016, U.S. Marines attended winter training with instructors from the Telemark Battalion at Camp Rena. Norwegian MoD photo by Philip Karlsen McGowan A Norwegian CV9030 armored assault vehicle speeds through the snow during Exercise Cold Response 2016. Norwegian MoD photo by Torbjørn Kjosvold Royal Norwegian Navy Skjold-class corvettes in formation during Exercise Cold Response 2016. The stealthy surface effect ships are the fastest armed naval combatants on earth. Norwegian MoD photo by Elias Engevik Three special operators from Norwegian Naval Special Operations Command and three special forces from the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps during Exercise Cold Response 2016. Norwegian MoD photo by Torbjørn Kjosvold A Leopard 2 tank from Norway's Telemark Battalion and U.S. Marine Corps M1A1 Abrams tanks on the range at Rena military camp in Norway. Norwegian MoD photo by Torbjørn Kjosvold The Royal Norwegian Navy frigates KNM Thor Heyerdahl and KNM Roald Amundsen off Namsos during Exercise Cold Response 2016 Norwegian MoD photo by Camilla Brevik Norwegian Army Leopard 2A4NO MBT, assigned to the Armored Battalion of Brigade North. Norwegian MoD photo by Ole-Sverre Haugli