U.S., Mexican and Canadian Soldiers trained shoulder to shoulder during Fuerzas Amigas 2025 in December at Fort Hood, Texas, strengthening partnerships and enhancing disaster response readiness. It was the first time Canadian troops took part in the annual exercise, which is Spanish for “Friendly Forces.” The event, which rotates its location each year, focuses on multilateral disaster response that emphasizes mass casualty decontamination, hazardous materials operations, and urban search and rescue. Fuerzas Amigas enhances coordination among U.S., Mexican and Canadian disaster response units to strengthen readiness for real-world emergencies. Drills were conducted during the December 6-15 exercise. Most of the training…
The Watch
Mexico and the United States agreed in December 2025 to share intelligence to thwart the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operating along their shared frontier. The agreement comes after transnational criminal organizations, or TCOs, in Mexico increasingly have used drones in their criminal enterprises, including an attack on a government building in Tijuana in October. A December 11 meeting of the Security Implementation Group (SIG) involved a half-dozen U.S. agencies and their Mexican counterparts, according to a U.S. Department of State news release. “There was a topic of particular interest to the United States: the use of drones by…
Canada’s government has teamed up with satellite operator Telesat and manufacturer MDA Space to explore options for a multibillion-dollar, multifrequency satellite communications network to support the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in the Arctic, which has become a strategic global zone. The partnership is part of the Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P), one of the key programs being led by the new Defence Investment Agency. ESCP-P’s goal is to supply the CAF with ultrahigh frequency narrowband and wideband satellite communications for requirements beyond line of sight in the Arctic. The cost of the program is estimated at more than $6.85…
Mexican Army Soldiers and National Guardsmen continued to battle transnational criminal organizations, or TCOs, in Sinaloa in December 2025, conducting operations across the home territory of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. Three operations in Sinaloa from December 11-12 netted dozens of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), guns, ammunition and laboratory equipment used to produce the deadly opioid fentanyl. Soldiers and Guardsman also discovered a vehicle outfitted with homemade armor in Tamaulipas and more weaponry and tactical gear in Michoacán, according to a news release from the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense…
NATO’s flagship cyber exercise, Cyber Coalition 2025, challenged more than 1,300 cyber defenders from 36 NATO and partner nations to guard against major attacks on critical infrastructure, including power plants, fuel depots, commercial satellites and military networks. During the exercise, from November 28 to December 4, 2025, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation oversaw seven realistic scenarios that required participants to manage a range of advanced cyber incidents. Cyber Coalition is set up as a collaborative drill, not a contest, said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brian Caplan, the exercise director. “Other cyber exercises are often about who wins a trophy. Ours is different,…
A joint program between Germany and Norway will produce two new submarines, boosting the Norwegian submarine fleet to six, their governments announced in December 2025. The additional submarines will improve Norway’s domain awareness in the Arctic, Norwegian defense officials said. “We are a coastal and maritime nation, and submarines are a crucial part of our defence,” said Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik, according to the Barents Observer, a Norwegian newspaper. In 2021, Germany and Norway signed an agreement to build four submarines for the Royal Norwegian Navy. The newly ordered submarines — an enhanced U212-submarine class with a stealth design…
The United States Army officially stood up a new command in December 2025 to reflect emerging threats in the nation’s geographical backyard, including its Arctic and Caribbean approaches. Based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the U.S. Western Hemisphere Command will be composed of the former U.S. Army Forces Command, U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South. “The Army is transforming because our adversaries increasingly aim to exploit vulnerabilities in the homeland and throughout North, Central and Southern America,” Gen. Joseph Ryan, Western Hemisphere’s commander, said at a ceremony marking the activation of the command on December 5, according to CNN.…
Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (DEFENSA), which oversees Mexico’s Army and Air Force, and the California National Guard have entered a new alliance under the State Partnership Program (SPP), an initiative that builds military and civil cooperation between U.S. states and foreign governments. The state of California announced the collaboration on December 4, 2025, after U.S. military and DEFENSA leaders had signed a letter of intent on October 28. The SPP pairs a U.S. state or territory’s National Guard with a partner nation’s military, security forces or government organization to enhance long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. Mexico’s Maj. Gen. Javier Sandoval…
The Mexican government has deployed 690 Soldiers, including 90 special forces members, to Chihuahua state after an attack at a private horse racing track killed seven men and wounded several others on November 15, 2025. “Chihuahua will not give a millimeter to crime,” Chihuahua State Public Safety Secretary Gilberto Loya Chávez said. Races at the Santa Teresa track in Parral, Mexico, were being broadcast live on social media networks, so dozens of videos captured the moment when the shooting began and panic broke out, the Proceso magazine website reported. Hundreds of spectators ran for cover. A turf war between rival…
A combat helicopter brigade stationed in Georgia has been training to augment its existing Apache Black Hawk and Chinook assets with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) designed to enhance security and force protection when combat helicopter crews are ferrying troops, supplies and firepower into battle. The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 3rd Infantry Division, recently demonstrated innovative techniques to rapidly integrate UAS technology into battlefield planning. The Russia-Ukraine war provides a clear example of how UAS, also known as drones, have transformed 21st-century warfare. Both Russia and Ukraine have deployed drones to attack troops, infrastructure and military assets, often evading traditional…