The United States Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations recently outlined a new strategy to bolster force projection globally in an age where multiple threats across oceans have become an increasingly likely scenario. Adm. Daryl Caudle said the Hedge Strategy would focus on forward deployed assets and highlight uncrewed vessels and systems to counter low-probability, high-risk threats. “Hedge Strategy isn’t just a prescriptive effort, it’s an enduring approach to fielding a relevant fleet, across all domains, in an ever dynamic and increasingly challenging environment against the backdrop of unpredictable threat vectors,” he said at a January 2026 defense conference in Washington,…
The Watch
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have accelerated plans to acquire 250 armored fighting vehicles (AFV) and upgrade their existing main battle tank, the Leopard 2, within the next five years. The plans were discussed at a defense industry gathering in the United Kingdom in January 2026, according to The War Zone, a United States military affairs news site. The purchases of armored assets will significantly bolster the CAF’s ability to defend North America from potential conflict, The War Zone reported. Canadian defense officials discussed their plans at Defense IQ’s International Armored Vehicles conference. The proposed timeline has been shifted from…
To support the Royal Canadian Navy’s new River-class destroyer and help bring it into service, the Department of National Defence (DND) is building a land-based test facility (LBTF) in Nova Scotia. “Having the right infrastructure in place to support a modern naval fleet is mission critical,” Defence Minister David J. McGuinty said in a DND news release. “This facility represents an important step in the River-class destroyer project.” Construction on the LBTF in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, began in November 2025, and its completion is expected in early 2028. The design progressed in tandem with that of the River-class destroyer because the complex required detailed…
A United States Coast Guard cutter seized 1,025 kilograms of cocaine and trained with naval forces from two key Latin American partners during a recent 45-day voyage. The cutter USCG Alert netted the narcotic haul during a Caribbean patrol before traveling through the Panama Canal and participating in a national security operation in the eastern Pacific Ocean. During the mission, the Alert made a port visit in Costa Rica and trained with Costa Rican and Panamanian naval forces. While at sea, crew members missed holiday celebrations back home but never wavered in their mission, their commander said. “I am immensely…
The commanding general of the Rhode Island National Guard visited The Bahamas in January 2026 to deepen ties with a long-standing partner, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Chevalier, Rhode Island’s adjutant general, met with RBDF Commodore Floyd Moxey at the RBDF’s Coral Harbour base where they discussed bolstering security cooperation and the State Partnership Program, a more than 30-year-old United States initiative to partner National Guard units with the military forces of allies and partners, according to an RBDF news release. “Both parties emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation in addressing shared security…
Members of the Mexican National Guard, the Mexican Army, and other military and police units seized drugs, precursor chemicals to produce illicit drugs, firearms, and ammunition in a variety of operations in January 2025. The military also uncovered dozens of improvised explosive devices (IED) and hundreds of kilograms of gunpowder. In one of the biggest busts, National Guard and Army personnel in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora state, on January 14, 2026, arrested one person and confiscated a vehicle in which they found 212.12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 14.7 kilograms of marijuana and 1 kilogram of other synthetic drugs. The suspect…
United States Marines deployed to northern Norway in January 2026 to participate in NATO’s Cold Response exercise, which is designed to enhance the troops’ ability to operate in harsh Arctic climates and defend the alliance’s northern flank. About 3,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina will take part in Cold Response alongside troops from 14 NATO countries when the exercise begins in March, according to the Army Times. “This exercise isn’t just about preparing for today’s threats,” Maj. Gen. Daniel L. Shipley, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said in a Marine Corps news release. “It’s…
A Canadian warship returned to its home port in December 2025 after a five-month deployment where it took part in NATO operations in the Arctic region. The HMCS St. John’s took part in patrols and exercises with NATO allies, including Operation Reassurance, in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. The St. John’s mission reflects Canada’s commitment to defending the NATO alliance and its capability to project force in the maritime domain far from Canadian shores. “The deployment of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship St. John’s reflects Canada’s steadfast commitment to peace and security in Europe. Serving with professionalism and determination, the ship’s company…
United States officials say large amounts of weapons and ammunition were seized at two Texas border checkpoints in recent months, and a father and son have pleaded guilty to attempted arms smuggling in one of the cases. “Every weapon and round of ammunition seized represents a potential threat neutralized,” Del Rio, Texas, Port Director Liliana Flores said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the Del Rio Port of Entry said they seized three weapons, nine magazines and 1,389 rounds of ammunition in a vehicle headed south at the Del Rio International Bridge into Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, on December…
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) apprehended 440 migrants in 2025, a 78% drop from the previous year, as interdictions plummeted along Cuban, Haitian and mixed-nationality routes in the Bahamas-Florida corridor, The Tribune newspaper in The Bahamas reported. In 2024, 2,019 people were intercepted. United States Coast Guard cutters and RBDF forces detained 84 Cubans on the Cay Sal Banks as they were trying to reach Florida in 2025. In addition, 64 Haitians were apprehended as they traveled from Haiti to The Bahamas. Most of the migrants, 292 of them, were of mixed nationalities and entered The Bahamas as tourists,…