Viking 18

The Viking 18 exercise application is an Information Centre for Civilian and Military exercise planners and participants. It will present updated exercise information over time.
The Viking 18 is the one of the world's largest computer assisted exercises that train civilians and military in a complex Peace Operation scenario. The exercise brings together both civilian and military actors to hinder, prevent and resolve crises. This is trained through a well-developed fictitious exercise scenario.
Exercise Viking 18 is the 7th in a series of major multifunctional civil-military exercises organised in Sweden over the past 13 years. Viking is the largest recurring civil-military relations exercise in the world. The last exercise, Viking 14, was conducted in April 2014 and saw more than 2600 participants representing 24 countries and 33 different organisations.
The exercise planning is conducted by the Swedish Armed Forces and the Folke Bernadotte Academy supported by the United States as a strategic partner. It takes place in five different countries, remote sites, simultaneously with Sweden as Lead Nation.
It will be conducted during the period 16 to 26 April 2018 in Sweden and several additional countries.
The aim of VIKING 18 is to train and educate participants – civilians, military and police – to meet the challenges of current and future multidimensional crisis response and peace operations. This includes planning and conducting an UN mandated Chapter VII peace operation in an unstable environment and based on a comprehensive approach in a scenario with current challenges, focusing on co-operation and co-ordination with relevant actors, understanding their interdependencies and relations.
The exercise objectives are
• Understand and apply a comprehensive approach to international peace operations, including the role of the host nation.
• Promote mutual understanding, confidence, co-operation and interoperability among all contributing and affected forces, organisations, offices and personnel.
• Understand and apply mission command/management, staff roles and functions, procedures and structures and co-ordinated planning processes.
• Understand and apply current operational concepts reflecting present and future challenges in international peace operations.

The Viking 18 is a possible link between training and future deployment. The exercise is a principal, collective training opportunity for peace operations and crisis management. It is based upon an “Up to date” and realistic scenario and exercise themes. The exercise is well proofed, well organised, manned and involve prepared Training Audience. The exercise has a strong partner involvement and a network of senior advisors and experienced military and civilian mentors. It is a valuable opportunity for participating countries and organizations to train their personnel in a realistic and challenging context, with other key partners present.

Note: continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.