U.S. Northern Command held the first demonstration of weapons to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at Fort Carson, Colorado, in October 2024. One participating vendor was Teledyne FLIR, which featured its Cerberus XL C-UAS in the exercise. TELEDYNE FLIR U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) conducted the first tests of systems to detect, track and defeat small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in October 2024. The Falcon Peak initiative by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) from October 19 to October 30 at Fort Carson, Colorado, highlighted the increasing importance of countering UAS threats to the United States. Several incursions by unidentified…
The Watch
Crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Munro work on the flight deck during the contraband offload in San Diego on November 19, 2024. PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS RICHARD URANGA/U.S. COAST GUARD A United States Coast Guard crew offloaded more than 13,154 kilograms (29,000 pounds) of cocaine, worth an estimated $335.8 million, in San Diego on November 19, 2024. The crew of USCG Cutter Munro (WMSL-755) delivered the illicit cargo that Coast Guard and Navy vessels intercepted from drug-smuggling vessels during recent patrols. The massive bust was the result of 11 separate interdictions in September and October 2024…
Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words “AI Artificial Intelligence” in this illustration. REUTERS ILLUSTRATION REUTERS Britain and its allies will not be intimidated by Russian cyber threats into ending their support for Ukraine, British Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said November 25, 2024, urging NATO to work closer together to stay ahead in “the new AI arms race.” In the latest Western warning about Moscow stepping up cyberattacks on nations backing Ukraine, McFadden said the U.S.-led military alliance, businesses and institutions must do “everything they can to lock their own digital doors” to protect…
The C-Lion1 telecommunications cable is laid in the Baltic Sea by cable ship Ile de Brehat on the shore of Helsinki, Finland, on October 12, 2015. REUTERS REUTERS European governments have accused Russia of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine’s Western allies as Baltic nations investigated whether the cutting of two fiber-optic telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea in mid-November 2024 was sabotage. “Moscow’s escalating hybrid activities against NATO and EU countries are also unprecedented in their variety and scale, creating significant security risks,” the statement signed by the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland said. Europe needs…
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration said in November 2024 it will continue the policy of removing migrants from the border with the U.S. and relocate them to southern Mexico. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Mexico will continue to enforce its policy to prevent migrants from reaching its northern border, the country’s foreign minister said shortly after the U.S. presidential election. Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said his country’s policy of transporting migrants approaching the border to southern Mexico — implemented nearly a year ago — has yielded impressive results. “It’s working well and we’re going to continue on…
Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, speaks at the National Guard Adjutants General conference at the Colorado National Guard’s 168th Regional Training Site at Fort Carson, Colorado, on October 29, 2024. At right is Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau. SGT. 1ST CLASS ZACH SHEELY/U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD The National Guard is an essential contributor to North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Gen. Gregory Guillot told a gathering of National Guard leaders at Fort Carson, Colorado, on October 29, 2024. “The success…
Mexican Soldiers patrol Culiacán in September 2024. In November, Mexican Soldiers executed three operations near the U.S. border to arrest cartel members, seize guns and ammunition, and increase security. AFP/GETTY IMAGES The Watch Staff The Mexican Army and National Guard executed three high-risk operations across northern Mexico in November 2024, arresting a high-profile member of the Sinaloa cartel as part of a campaign that led to more than two dozen arrests. The operations also netted dozens of automatic weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition and other evidence. The actions were the latest in a series of operations to combat transnational…
Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, left, incoming commander of U.S. Southern Command, takes the command guidon from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during the SOUTHCOM change-of-command ceremony in Doral, Florida, on November 7, 2024. Holsey assumed command from Army Gen. Laura Richardson, who is retiring after 38 years of service. ERICA BECHARD/U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND THE WATCH STAFF Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III stressed the power of U.S. partnerships “rooted in our shared values of democracy, human rights and opportunity for all” as he led the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) change-of-command ceremony November 7, 2024, in Doral, Florida. During…
Military vehicles during combat shooting as part of the Resolute Warrior exercise. During the maneuver, the multinational NATO brigade stationed in Latvia, which is now being formed, trained together at full strength for the first time. REUTERS THE WATCH STAFF Latvia marked a critical milestone in November 2024 as the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia (MNB-LVA) conducted its first major exercise as a complete brigade. Exercise Resolute Warrior 2024 was held November 1-14, 2024, across central and northern Latvia. The MNB-LVA includes personnel from 13 member states, highlighting the alliance’s commitment to NATO’s central tenet of collective defense. Canada’s contributions to the brigade are…
North American Aerospace Defense Command fighter aircraft intercept a Chinese H-6 bomber off the coast of Alaska in July 2024. Two of the Chinese bombers were flying with two Russian bombers near Alaska in a sign of increasing Arctic cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. NORTH AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND REUTERS The United States is watching growing cooperation between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia in the Arctic closely, and some of their recent military collaboration in the region sends “concerning signals,” the U.S. Arctic ambassador said. The PRC and Russia have stepped up military cooperation in the Arctic…