New warfare technology has changed how authorities counter transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) along the 3,145-kilomoter border between Mexico and the United States, according to Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) data. Through August 2026, high-energy laser weapons have been decisive in downing some of the 400 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) disabled along the border, including 100 in August. “Frontline troops have the right authorities and are leveraging a highly capable network to thwart threats to the forces conducting the territorial integrity mission,” Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said…
The Watch
Canada’s minister of national defense traveled to Iceland in early October 2026 to attend a meeting of defense ministers of nations belonging to the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a British-led rapid-reaction force created to respond to threats in the Arctic, Baltic and North Atlantic regions. The October 2 meeting in Reykjavik focused on the evolving security environment in the High North and the importance of strengthening the 10-nation force, according to a news release from Canada’s Department of National Defence. Canada formally requested to join the JEF when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham…
The United States and The Bahamas have renewed an agreement allowing the U.S. Navy to operate one of its most important undersea testing facilities in the Caribbean, extending a partnership that has endured for decades and expanding opportunities for cooperation on maritime security, military readiness and emergency response. The five-year extension of the lease for the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, or AUTEC, on Andros Island was signed September 29, 2026, at the Office of the Prime Minister in Nassau. Under the agreement, the U.S. will pay $12.4 million annually for continued use of the facility. The agreement was…
The Mexican government in early October 2026 said it sought increased cooperation and communication with the United States after an incident in which the U.S. Coast Guard vessels and crews operating in the Rio Grande Valley came under fire from unidentified combatants in northern Mexico. Mexico’s Secretariat of the Navy (MARINA) stated in an October 3 news release that the September 26 incident, in which no one was injured nor any equipment damaged, occurred during an ongoing joint exercise where the North American partners were engaged in “mirror operations.” Those operations, MARINA said, “bear witness to [both nations’] commitment to…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has formally applied for Canada to join the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a defense coalition of 10 Northern European NATO nations. Carney’s office announced the move after he met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to the United Kingdom in mid-September. The prime ministers “underscored the close relationship between Canada and the U.K., rooted in historic ties and shared values,” a statement issued by Carney’s office said. “They noted the deep and growing defence and security partnership between the two countries and discussed opportunities to further strengthen these efforts.” The JEF includes…
Mexico and the United States demonstrated close cooperation and command and control capability during a September 2026 joint exercise involving unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS tactics along the California-Mexico border. Àguila Alta, or “High Eagle” in English, unfolded over several weeks in the San Diego and Tijuana regions. “The purpose of this operation is to achieve a more secure border by detecting and disabling commercially available drones used by criminals along the shared border to monitor authorities during human and drug trafficking,” read a September 9 statement from the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (DEFENSA). In recent years, transnational…
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 people, were solemnly remembered in September 2026 as U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and reflected on how the tragedy reshaped homeland defense. The two commands, which share a headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base and are led by the same commander, remain central to the mission of defending North America. At a ceremony at nearby Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, leaders of the world’s only binational command emphasized that the defense of North America remains a…
The United States signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland in September to establish a more robust U.S. military presence in Greenland with exclusive “permanent basing rights,” strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security. “This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” said President Donald J. Trump before the agreement was signed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22. “And for Greenland, it’s going to be incredible.” Officials from the U.S., Greenland and Denmark negotiated for months before a deal was reached. About two-thirds of Greenland lies within…
North Carolina National Guardsmen and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents rescued a man who was bitten by a snake as he crossed into the U.S. from Mexico. The team deployed an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, with thermal detection capabilities to locate the injured man, a War Department news release said. While on patrol in Rio Grande City, Texas, National Guard Staff Sgt. Sethone Kan, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB), got a call from the Fort Brown Border Patrol Station and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office about the man, who was in distress after…
A British warship visited the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in August 2026 to train with the TCI Regiment in disaster response and medical training. The HMS Trent’s visit represented part of an ongoing effort by the United Kingdom and its overseas territories to respond effectively to hurricane-related disasters. Trent embarked members of 24 Commando Royal Engineers on Providenciales for the training, which included road clearing and emergency first aid. The TCI Governor’s Office posted on Facebook that the visit demonstrated the strong partnership between the British Overseas Territory and the U.K. “(It was) a productive visit bringing together training,…