U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers perform a preflight inspection on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter as part of staging and onward movement at the port of Kalundborg, Denmark, on April, 16, 2024. STAFF SGT. THOMAS MORT/U.S. ARMY RESERVES THE WATCH STAFF In a show of NATO unity and collaboration, hundreds of pieces of U.S. Army equipment arrived in Danish and Norwegian ports in April 2024 in advance of a U.S.-led NATO exercise, Immediate Response 24. The exercise included a massive road convoy of U.S. troops and equipment from Norway to Finland, which covers 885 kilometers and demonstrates the ability of NATO to…
The Watch
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James arrived at the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as part of its multisession deployment in the South Atlantic Ocean to counter illicit maritime activities with host nations. MILKO SCHVARTZMAN DIÁLOGO AMERICAS In line with the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) dedication to combating illicit maritime activities and to promote maritime security, the USCG Cutter James (WMSL 754) deployed to the South Atlantic Ocean to conduct joint missions with their South American counterparts aimed at combating illegal Chinese fishing in the region. Coastal South American countries have criticized the massive Chinese fishing fleet for its invasive…
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on May 10, 2022. The E-7A Wedgetail is equipped with high-powered radar and is used to monitor the battle space and provide friendly forces with an advantage over their opponents. It is the type of early warning aircraft being considered by the Canadian government. AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JOSEY BLADES/U.S. AIR FORCE THE WATCH STAFF Canada plans to spend $3.65 billion to purchase advanced early warning aircraft, officials confirmed to Aviation Week, an aerospace industry news magazine. The plans to upgrade Canada’s…
University of Alaska Anchorage students in the 2023 Arctic Summer Internship Program in Utqiaġvik gain hands-on learning experience from researchers studying the Arctic. ADAC-ARCTIC COE THE WATCH STAFF Nearly 200 people gathered in April 2024 to celebrate the opening of the Arctic Domain Awareness Center (ADAC)-ARCTIC Center of Excellence (COE) for Homeland Security at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The ribbon-cutting and reception featured a ceremonial lighting of the seal oil lamp by former ADAC Fellow Caitlyn Hanna and a fireside chat with a panel that included Dimitri Kusnezov, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) under secretary for science and…
A woman waves the Canadian and Northwest Territories flags near Yellowknife. The Canadian Armed Forces is building a new multipurpose facility in Yellowknife to increase its defense capabilities and forge deeper ties with surrounding Indigenous and Northern communities. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Canada will build a new multiuse facility in its Far North to enhance its ability to deploy forces and improve domain awareness. The Yellowknife defense facility and housing initiative also prioritizes the needs of neighboring Indigenous and local communities, giving the Canadian Armed Forces facility a dual military and civilian-use role that furthers the country’s goals of…
The Royal Bermuda Regiment engaged in its annual Island Warrior exercise at Marine Corps Base Lejeune in North Carolina in April 2024. The exercise focused on socioeconomic tensions, gang violence and rising crime rates. ROYAL BERMUDA REGIMENT THE WATCH STAFF Motivated by a desire to improve their operational readiness and learn new urban security techniques, 300 soldiers from the Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) arrived at Marine Corps Base Lejeune in April 2024, where they rendezvoused with troops from other British Overseas Territories — the Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands and Falkland Islands — for Island Warrior 24. After two…
Norwegian Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, from left, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum take part in a news conference to discuss increased defense spending. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE WATCH STAFF The Norwegian government announced another large defense spending increase in May 2024 that will bring the Nordic country in line with NATO’s goal of member states spending 2% of GDP on defense before the NATO summit in July. Prime Minister Jonas Støre explained the mid-year budget spike as necessary because of increased tensions in the region. “We must increase the operational capability of the…
A NORAD F-22 Raptor intercepts at Russian Tu-95 bomber in the Alaskan Area Defense Identification Zone on June 16, 2020. NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response. NORAD THE WATCH STAFF The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in recent months has continued to closely monitor Russian military aircraft activity near Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). On both April 5 and May 2, 2024, NORAD detected and tracked Russian aircraft operating within this zone. A NORAD news release about the latest incident stated that “the Russian…
A Royal Danish Air Force F-16 pilot participates in Operation Global Guardian 24-2. OPERATION GLOBAL GUARDIAN 24-2 THE WATCH STAFF North American and European allies conducted Operation Global Guardian on June 18, 2024, to demonstrate the advantage of global alliances, integrated deterrence, layered defense, readiness and the seamless integration of Air Forces from North America and European nations in support of Arctic Defense and NATO’s northern flank. The Air Forces from eight nations participated including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Kingdom of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. The operation was part of the Global Guardian series of biannual…
Finnish Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, right, and U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Scott Robertson stand outside the headquarters of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. MAYA JOHNSON Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, commander of the Finnish Air Force, visited the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) headquarters in April 2024 in an exchange that demonstrated ongoing efforts to strengthen ties and deepen collaboration between NORAD, USNORTHCOM, Finland and other Nordic allies and partners. Accompanying Maj. Gen. Keränen was Col. Markus Mecklin, the Finnish Defence cooperation attaché stationed in Washington D.C. Keränen and Mecklin…