The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment was one of six regional militaries that participated in the Caribbean Reserve Training Camp in Jamaica in July 2026, a two-week exercise designed to strengthen tactical skills, leadership, regional cooperation and interoperability. Soldiers from other British Overseas Territories (BOT), including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and the Cayman Islands, also practiced combined operations with the Jamaican Defence Force and the nation’s reserve and junior cadet forces. Brig. Gen. Ricardo Blidgen, brigade commander of the Jamaica National Reserve, said the training camp represents the cornerstone of the reserve’s operational readiness. “Soldiers and officers remain prepared to…
The Watch
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have launched Operation Nanook-Takuniq 2026, planning exercises throughout summer, fall and winter across the Canadian North and Arctic. The operation focuses on land-based awareness and surveillance in remote, austere environments. Nanook-Takuniq demands specialized Arctic skills, including long‑range patrolling, navigation and survival in extreme conditions, and in-depth regional knowledge. Activities will be held in key locations such as Banks Island, Akpatok Island in Nunavut, and the coastlines of Hudson Bay and Labrador. “Operation Nanook-Takuniq advances our enhanced Arctic operations by reinforcing the Canadian Armed Forces’ permanent presence and ability to operate in our North,” Maj. Gen. Tim Arsenault, acting commander…
In two separate operations led by the Mexican Navy, authorities confiscated about 4 metric tons of suspected cocaine and two vessels, and four arrests were made, the Secretariat of the Navy (MARINA) announced in news releases in early July. Combined, the seizures cost criminal organizations about $52 million, MARINA said. In the first operation, the Mexican Navy seized about 3 metric tons of suspected cocaine and two small boats in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, a MARINA news release said July 4. Four suspects were arrested. The interdiction occurred after Navy personnel carrying out a maritime…
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) welcomed 104 new Marine recruits in July 2026, marking a historically high level of defense readiness. The RBDF ranks now number more than 2,000 for the first time since its founding nearly a half century ago. The July 17 graduation ceremony included 62 men and 42 women, clad in their dress whites, who executed complex drills on the Coral Harbour Base’s parade grounds. Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper, the guest of honor at the Passing Out Parade, praised the recruits’ tenacity during the 20-week training camp. “You have earned the privilege of serving…
The Canadian government will invest $21 million in the next two years to set up a defense innovation center designed to accelerate the development, testing and integration of military drones and other uncrewed systems. Defence Minister David McGuinty announced the Uncrewed Systems Defence Innovation Secure Hub (UxS DISH) as part of the government’s Borealis production program. “Drones are changing the way modern militaries operate, and Canada must be ready to develop, test and adopt these technologies at speed,” McGuinty said in a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) news release on July 14, 2026. “This new Defence Innovation Secure Hub will bring government, Canadian industry, academia,…
Mexican National Guard units arrived in Ciudad Juarez in June 2026 to collaborate with the United States on surveillance and crime-prevention efforts along the Mexico-U.S. border. The specialized units conducted concurrent patrols, also known as “mirrored patrols,” with U.S. Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) units. The Mexican forces patrolled on their side of the border while CBP agents did the same on the U.S. side, reported KTSM, an El Paso television broadcaster. The June 18 patrols took place along the border between the Anapra-Sunland Park area to the Zaragoza International Bridge, the station reported. Since the beginning…
Australia has formalized a landmark agreement with Canada to provide state-of-the-art radar capabilities for the Arctic, strengthening continental defense and bolstering the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). In June 2026, the allies signed a pact that ensures delivery of an Arctic over-the-horizon-radar (A-OTHR) system to Canada. It is expected to be operational by December 2029. The cost of the $4.2 billion system, which includes related infrastructure and logistics, represents a major downpayment in Canada’s commitment to contribute to NORAD’s modernization. A-OTHR will give Canada long-surveillance capability to detect and track airborne threats approaching North America through the Arctic. The…
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is taking the first tangible steps toward building a fleet of new warships, with plans to add up to 20 cutting-edge vessels at an estimated cost of $3.66 billion. The military told defense industry officials at an April 9, 2026, briefing in Ottawa that a request for information will be issued for the continental defense corvette. The corvettes will be designed as homeland defense warships that can patrol and protect Canadian waters, all the way up to the Arctic ice edge, the Ottawa Citizen reported. The program is expected to adhere strictly to a “made-in-Canada” strategy, with…
The navies of Mexico and the United States exchanged best practices and became better acquainted with one another’s naval assets during a subject matter expert exchange in the Pacific Ocean during a recent deployment of the U.S. Navy’s 4th Fleet on a mission to circumnavigate the Western Hemisphere. Sailors from the Mexican Navy’s (MARINA) Reformador-class frigate ARM Benito Juärez met with members of the visit, board, search and seizure team aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley in March 2026, according to a Facebook post from the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) on April 10. The exchange, known as a…
An official visit to underscore a long history of security cooperation between The Bahamas and the United States took place on the USS Nimitz in June 2026. The aircraft carrier and flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11 hosted a delegation of senior Bahamian officials for a tour of the ship and discussions about the importance of the bilateral relationship. The visit provided “a firsthand look at the unmatched capabilities of a U.S. aircraft carrier operating at peak proficiency,” according to a U.S. Navy news release. Invited guests included The Bahamas’ National Security Minister Myles Laroda, Energy, Utilities and Aviation Minister…