U.S. and partner nations participating in PANAMAX 2024 tour the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint at the conclusion of PANAMAX 2024 on August 14, 2024, at Naval Station Mayport. PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS JACOB SIPPEL/U.S. NAVY THE WATCH STAFF When it debuted in 2003, the biennial PANAMAX exercise had three nations participating, including the United States. Fast forward 21 years, and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-led operation — which took place August 5-14 at locations across the U.S. — brought together 500 military members from 11 nations and their U.S. counterparts to conduct a simulated response to a crisis…
The Watch
Canada announced the construction of a quick-reaction facility in Quebec that will house 32 new CF-35A fighter jets. The rendering depicts the facility, which is expected to be ready by 2027. CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE THE WATCH STAFF Canada will build a new “Quick Reaction Alert” facility at its existing Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Bagotville to better support Ottawa’s role in the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) mission to protect the North American homeland. The Quebec facility will house 32 of Canada’s soon-to-arrive CF-35As in a “flight-ready state,” according to a news release from Canada’s Department of National…
Royal Bahamas Defence Force members participate in a Women, Peace and Security meeting in the United States in February 2024. The RBDF celebrated its largest female class of recruits to the 1,700-member force in July. SGT. MOZER DA CUNHA/INTER-AMERICAN DEFENSE COLLEGE THE WATCH STAFF The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) marked its largest class of female recruits in its history in July 2024 as it welcomed 35 women into its ranks. The graduation ceremony at the RBDF’s headquarters, Coral Harbour Base, also witnessed the force’s largest overall contingent of 126 recruits in its 44-year history. The recruits successfully completed 20…
The U.S. Department of Defense released its 2024 Arctic Strategy in July. The 28-page document calls for increased investment and bolstering alliances in an increasingly contested region. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF A changing climate, increasing threats from Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and an unforgiving physical environment all present challenges to the United States’ goal of a stable and secure Arctic region. To confront those challenges, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) updated its Arctic Strategy in July 2024 to reflect its posture of a monitor-and-respond approach to potential conflicts. The 28-page document outlines the U.S.…
The HMCS Windsor, shown here in making its initial voyage for Canada in 2001, is one of four 1980s-era British submarines acquired by Canada that are now nearing obsolescence. In July 2024, Canada announced plans to buy 12 new submarines capable of under-ice Arctic patrols. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Canada plans to quadruple its submarine fleet with the purchase of up to 12 new submarines to bolster its maritime security in the Arctic. The announcement came as Canada made its first formal commitment to meet NATO’s threshold of member countries spending 2% of their national GDP on defense. “As…
Kenyan police officers arrive in Haiti in July 2024 as part of a U.N. security mission to reestablish law and order. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force will assist the mission. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Efforts by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) throughout the last year to deter illegal migration from Haiti were effective, its leader told the Bahamian media in late July 2024. Commodore Raymond E. King said that placing patrol boats on the southeastern maritime approaches to the Bahamas has slowed the numbers of Haitians risking the treacherous journey. But with the deployment of a Kenyan police-led…
The guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley stops for fuel in Tromso, Norway, in 2019. The Department of Defense issued a new Arctic strategy in July 2024 outlining a strategy built on engagement and collaboration with U.S. Arctic allies such as Norway. U.S. NAVY TROY J. BOUFFARD, PH.D/UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS The 2024 Department of Defense Arctic Strategy adeptly reflects the region’s geopolitical landscape since February 2022. Notably, its end state — to preserve the Arctic as a stable region where U.S. homeland security and vital national interests are safeguarded — presents a more assertive objective than its 2019 predecessor. This shift…
The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent maneuvers into position to moor up with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy during a cooperative science mission to the Arctic Ocean in 2008. U.S. COAST GUARD THE WATCH STAFF Canada, Finland and the United States announced a partnership dubbed the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) to produce much-needed icebreakers for use in rapidly melting Arctic waters. The July 2024 pact was revealed during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., and was framed as a way to boost shipbuilding capacity in each country. The agreement is also widely seen as a counter…
The Russian training ship of the Baltic Fleet Smolnyy arrives at Havana harbor on July 27, 2024, as part of a fleet composed of the patrol vessel Neustrahimiy and the offshore oil tanker Yelnya. The Russian fleet remained on the island from July 27-30. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Just weeks after Russian warships visited the port of Havana, a new Russian flotilla returned to Cuba in July 2024. The visit comes after the Russian Navy announced exercises involving its Northern, Pacific and Baltic Fleets, the latest in Russian military maneuvers involving nuclear weapons and warplanes. The People’s Republic of…
Mexican Sailors, Peruvian Naval Infantry Soldiers and U.S Coast Guard personnel conducted the first urban search and rescue operation in the 53-year-history of Exercise Rim of the Pacific. SPEC. 1ST CLASS TYRELL K. MORRIS/U.S. NAVY THE WATCH STAFF Mexican Sailors, Peruvian Naval Infantry Soldiers and U.S. Coast Guardsmen completed the first urban search and rescue (USAR) exercise in the 53-year history of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in July 2024, which showcased the increasing interoperability of the U.S. and its partners. The training also provided valuable preparation for the rescue of civilians from natural disasters, an increasing threat…