Tanzania, July 1 -- NATO has launched a new experimental unit to test unmanned systems in the Arctic, marking the latest step in the alliance's efforts to strengthen its operational capabilities in the strategically important region.

The initiative comes as NATO continues to expand its military presence across the Arctic, citing the need to enhance security and deter potential threats from Russia.

Moscow has dismissed those concerns, arguing that the alliance's growing military footprint is itself contributing to rising tensions.

The new programme, known as Task Force X-Arctic (TFX-Arctic), was launched in June aboard the NATO research vessel Alliance, which departed from La Spezia, Italy.

The task force will operate through 2026 and ...