King Charles III, on his first visit to Bermuda as monarch, officially opened a second Coast Guard station for the Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) in May that will result in faster, more efficient operations in that part of the British Overseas Territory. “Our response times will be cut down, and this gives us the capability to work with our sister agencies in close proximity,” said Maj. Jeffrey Patterson, the RBR Coast Guard commander. Nearby residents welcomed Charles when he arrived at the Great Bay Coast Guard Station, St. David’s, on May 2, 2026, and the RBR Band and Corps of…
The Watch
Norwegian F-35s scrambled to meet two Russian bombers in late April 2026 as the planes operated near NATO airspace. One bomber was carrying a cruise missile under its wing. Two Su-30SM Russian fighter jets shadowed the Tu-95MS bombers as they flew over northern Norway on April 30, reported the Barents Observer, a Norwegian newspaper. The cruise missile was identified as a Kh-101, commonly used in attacks against Ukraine, the newspaper reported May 8. “There may be a training element involved, but this is probably first and foremost signaling,” Lars Peder Haga, associate professor at Norway’s Air Force Academy, told the…
Mexico has deployed more than 100,000 security officers and has tightened security at high-profile tourist sites for the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament. The moves accelerated in April 2026 after an isolated mass shooting unrelated to cartel violence prompted authorities to speed up additional security measures ahead of the global event. The quadrennial sports tournament will take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States beginning in June. The three partner nations have closely collaborated on joint security measures in preparation for a nearly six-week tournament expected to draw millions of visitors to North America. In March 2026 congressional testimony,…
Canada continued to modernize its naval force in April 2026 by launching its latest Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV). The Canadian Coast Guard ship (CCGS) Donjek adds to the NATO member’s ability to maintain domain awareness in the Arctic region. The Donjek, which departed the Halifax Shipyard, marks the latest product of Ottawa’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and bolsters the country’s Arctic fleet, reported the High North News. The 104.7-meter Donjek launched after being transferred from Irving Shipbuilding’s land-level facility in Halifax aboard a semi-submersible barge. Another CCGS icebreaker, CCGS Sermilik, is under construction and slated for delivery in 2027. “The launch…
Mexican security forces captured a top commander of the deadly Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) after an enormous military operation tracked him down. Audias Flores Silva — known as “El Jardinero” or The Gardener — was found hiding in a drainage pipe after about 500 members of the security forces closed in on him in the western state of Nayarit on April 27, 2026. Officials said Flores, 45, was considered the right-hand man of Mexico’s former most-wanted criminal, CJNG leader Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, who died in February after suffering injuries in a battle with Soldiers trying to arrest…
The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) announced a coordinated response to increased migration to the British Overseas Territory (BOT) in April 2026 after an emergency meeting of TCI’s acting governor, premier and other top military and law enforcement officials. The Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force, the TCI Regiment and the TCI Border Force will increase air surveillance, expand land and marine patrols, and toughen enforcement against illegal immigration to combat the surge of migrants, reported Newsline TCI. “Authorities also emphasized short-term collaboration with local stakeholders and regional partners, while setting medium- to long-term priorities aimed at enhancing national…
The United States Navy commissioned the newest addition to its fleet of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, on April 25, 2026. The USS Idaho, with its enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance and special warfare advancements, is the nation’s 26th Virginia-class submarine. Cmdr. Chad J. Guillerault, Idaho’s commanding officer, said he was “honored to be the captain of a crew so mighty that they have outshone all those before them.” The ceremony culminated a multiyear construction process. The Idaho was built as part of a teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport…
The crew of the HMBS Nassau, one of two offshore patrol vessels in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), completed its annual sea training readiness and range training in March 2026. The course consisted of weapons training — including a live-fire exercise — small boat handling, navigation, line handling, vessel maneuvering, watchkeeping, emergency response procedures, coordination during patrol operations and adherence to established maritime protocols. “The course provided intensive instructions in core maritime competencies essential to safeguarding The Bahamas’ territorial waters. It included both theoretical and practical components focused on seamanship, operational awareness, and safety procedures at sea,” according to…
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada announced a multibillion-dollar plan in March to substantially expand the country’s military capacity in the Arctic, building three military bases in the northern territories, making improvements at another base, and strengthening related infrastructure to assert sovereignty over the increasingly contested region. “With this plan, we are taking control of our future,” Carney said. “We are taking full responsibility for defending our sovereignty,” Carney, surrounded by troops, said at an airplane hangar in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on March 12, 2026. “The government’s first job is to keep you safe.” The highlight of the plan will…
For the second straight year, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has surpassed its Regular Force recruiting target. The CAF enrolled 7,310 new members in fiscal year 2025-26, topping its target of 6,957 and marking the most annual enrollments in more than three decades. Building on that progress, the CAF has raised its goal to 8,200 enrollments for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Women accounted for 17% of new recruits, The Defense Post website reported, while 1,400 permanent residents were enrolled, the most since 2022. The overall increase in recruiting follows an increase in the salary and other historic changes to compensation packages…