The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have launched Operation Nanook-Tuugaalik 2026, a segment of Operation Nanook that runs from August through October and focuses on maintaining a maritime presence in the Arctic. During Nanook-Tuugaalik, the CAF will enhance regional awareness, strengthen its ability to operate effectively in remote northern environments, and work with allies to perfect a unified defense.
“Tuugaalik showcases the professionalism and adaptability of our sailors operating side by side with allied partners in one of Canada’s most demanding maritime environments,” Rear Adm. Pascal Belhumeur, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic, said in a CAF news release. “These operations strengthen how we integrate, communicate and respond together at sea — capabilities that are essential to Canada’s defence and to allied security in the Arctic.”
During the operation, the Royal Canadian Navy offshore patrol vessel Robert Hampton Gray will be joined by the Canadian Coast Guard and other Canadian government departments as well as naval forces from Denmark, France and the United States. They’ll travel through waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the Labrador Sea, the Davis Strait and Greenlandic fjords, and carry out activities such as patrols, surveillance, community engagement and refueling. NATO allied participation will strengthen interoperability and shared maritime awareness in the region.
“For our ships, crews and allies, Tuugaalik is about spending time where it matters most: on the water, in the Arctic, exercising together to build familiarity with the region and maintaining awareness at sea,” Cmdr. Brian Henwood, commanding officer of the Robert Hampton Gray, said in the news release. “Every patrol deepens our understanding of the operating environment, our capabilities, and strengthens the relationships we have with communities and partners across the North.”
The U.S. Navy littoral combat ship Wichita left Naval Station Mayport in Florida on August 7 to participate in Nanook-Tuugaalik’s maritime domain awareness operations, search and rescue scenarios, tactical maneuvering and integrated naval training. “Operation Nanook Tuugaalik provides an exceptional opportunity to train alongside our closest allies in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime regions,” Cmdr. Richard Dunn, commanding officer of the Wichita, said in a U.S. Navy news release. “Our Sailors are prepared to operate in the High North, strengthen allied interoperability, and demonstrate the professionalism and adaptability that define the U.S. Navy.”
Conducting Operation Nanook-Tuugaalik in collaboration with allies and partners reinforces Canada’s sovereignty and demonstrates the nation’s commitment to strengthening NATO’s Arctic presence. Operation Nanook is Canada’s signature Arctic operation. In addition to Tuugaalik, it also includes the serials Nunalivut, Qimaavivut, Takuniq, Tatigiit and Nunaakput.
The exercises, under the Nanook umbrella, intentionally span all seasons and all domains. Through Nanook, the CAF executes its commitment to a “near-persistent,” year-round presence in the North.
Testifying before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in March, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), hailed the Canadian Armed Forces and the U.S.-Canada alliance. “Defense cooperation between USNORTHCOM and the Canadian Armed Forces remains a cornerstone of continental defense. The Government of Canada’s commitment to modernization efforts that will directly benefit NORAD missions, coupled with outstanding collaboration between USNORTHCOM and the command’s counterparts in the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) plays a key role in multinational operations to detect and monitor potential threats to the homeland, and the partnership between CJOC and USNORTHCOM is vital to deterring and defending against all-domain threats to North America.”