U.S. Army personnel practice search and rescue techniques in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during Fuerzas Amigas 2024. Photos by CATHRYN LINDSAY/U.S. AIR FORCE For the first time, members of the Mexican and United States militaries conducted a joint disaster response exercise outside a military base as Fuerzas Amigas 24 broke new ground in cross-border collaboration. In June 2024, downtown Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, filled with smoke and 30 mock victims lying on the streets as Mexican authorities requested cross-border assistance from the U.S. to help contain a chemical fire from tank cars on a rail line connecting Ciudad Juárez…
The Watch
A member of AFNORTH participates in Amalgam Eagle 24. / Michael Dougherty/U.S. Air Force Showcasing the close partnership and shared interests of Mexico and the United States in air defense and security, the Mexican Armed Forces, the U.S. Department of Defense and federal agencies from both countries participated in a live-fly exercise November 13-14, 2024, at locations throughout Mexico and the U.S. The Amalgam Eagle 2024 air exercise, organized by the U.S. Northern Command’s (USNORTHCOM) Air Forces Northern (AFNORTH) and Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (DEFENSA), brought together interagency partners to strengthen readiness and improve coordinated responses, contributing to…
A Norwegian Navy Skjold-class corvette is tracked by air assets during a JEF surface exercise in Norway in September 2023. CHRIS SELLARS/U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) stands as a testament to a regional multinational framework that has demonstrated adaptive flexibility, retaining relevance in the fast-changing Euro-Atlantic security landscape. As it looks back at its 10-year anniversary, it is an opportune moment to reflect on its history, achievements and value to security in the High North and North Atlantic regions. The JEF was launched at the NATO Wales Summit in September 2014, under the leadership of…
Polar Dagger 24 provided Special Operations Command North with the opportunity to refine a range of capabilities and responses to deter, disrupt, degrade and deny competitor activity in the Arctic. AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JOHNNY DIAZ/U.S. AIR FORCE United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), U.S. Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH) and the U.S. Navy rapidly deployed 150 U.S. special operations forces (USSOF) aboard the USS John L. Canley to conduct multidomain maritime operations in the North American Arctic as part of Operation Polar Dagger 24 (OPD24) in July and August 2024. Operating in the Bering Sea, Arctic Circle and St. Lawrence…
A Royal Danish Air Force F-16 pilot participates in Operation Global Guardian. ROYAL DANISH AIR FORCE European and North American allies conducted Operation Global Guardian to demonstrate the advantage of global alliances, integrated deterrence, layered defense, readiness and the seamless integration of air forces from North America and European nations in support of Arctic defense and NATO’s northern flank. The air forces from eight nations participated, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, in June 2024. The operation was part of the Global Guardian series of biannual enhanced vigilance activities that…
Maritime security forces from Canada, Mexico and the United States gathered last year for two exercises designed to increase the effectiveness of the North American nations in tackling illicit activity in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The North American Maritime Security Initiative (NAMSI) exercises, held a few weeks apart and based out of U.S. Coast Guard facilities in San Diego, California, and Corpus Christi, Texas, better acquainted the Canadian maritime forces, Mexican Navy (MARINA) and the U.S. Coast Guard with the best practices and protocols of the 17-year-old agreement to bolster the “maritime interoperability and the capabilities of the Canadian,…
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began in 2022, has challenged and subsequently changed security policies in Europe and for all NATO allies. The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO offers a unique opportunity for a strengthened Nordic defense cooperation to uphold credible deterrence and defense. The Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) originally was created in 2009, combining separate earlier cooperation initiatives under a single organizational umbrella to integrate Finland and Sweden, then non-NATO partners, in a Nordic security cooperation effort. On April 30, 2024, the defense ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden signed the new Vision for the Nordic…
The U.S. Coast Guard was faced with an uncomfortable reality in 2024 when fire disabled its cutter Healy. Years ago, this absence would have passed without notice. In mid-2024, however, it took place within the context of a rapidly growing presence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the region. Indeed, Beijing set a new milestone in 2024 by deploying three icebreakers to the Arctic. While those Chinese ships posed no threat to North America, the country’s growing Arctic capability presents the U.S. and its allies with a clear, long-term challenge in the region. That risk has been widely debated…
United States Air Force Master Sgt. Cody Hallas of the 133rd Contingency Response Team builds an igloo in Crystal City, Canada, during a field training exercise. The U.S. and Canada’s strong Arctic defense partnership includes bilateral training. 133RD AIRLIFT WING/U.S. AIR FORCE Canada released its revised Arctic Foreign Policy (CAFP), which supplements its 2019 Arctic and Northern Policy Framework statement’s international chapter, due to profound geostrategic changes that have spilled over into Arctic affairs. Then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly’s foreword paints a dramatic picture, lamenting that “for many years, Canada has aimed to manage the Arctic and Northern…
Royal Bermuda Regiment Soldiers attack the obstacle course during Exercise Island Warrior. CPL. CHRISTIAN AYERS/U.S. MARINE CORPS The Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) provides homeland defense for the British Overseas Territory (BOT) of Bermuda. The 300-person unit of mostly reserve Soldiers plays a critical role in defending the island’s territorial waters and assisting civil authorities during natural disasters, including hurricanes. The Watch interviewed the regiment’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. Duncan E.R. Simons, about the regiment’s goals and ambitions. THE WATCH: As the 18th commanding officer of the RBR, what is your vision for the service? SIMONS: The RBR must be…