U.S. East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) await extraction from the beach of Gambell, Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska, by U.S. Army MH-60M Blackhawk helicopters assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) as part of Operation Polar Dagger. SENIOR AIRMAN JOHNNY DIAZ/U.S. AIR FORCE THE WATCH STAFF The Department of Defense recently conducted a month-long exercise in Alaska, approximately 72 kilometers from Russia. Army, Air Force and Navy special forces units assigned to Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH) trained in maritime assaults and helicopter landings in rough seas and met other Arctic tactical and logistical challenges during Operation…
The Watch
Canadian and U.S. warplanes intercept a Chinese H-6 bomber near Alaska on July 24, 2024. NORAD THE WATCH STAFF North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) assets intercepted two Russian TU-95 and two People’s Republic of China (PRC) H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in late July 2024. The intercept was a routine demonstration of the NORAD mission of aerospace warning and control. Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets accompanied by U.S Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft and F-16 Fighting Falcons positively identified and intercepted the two Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers, known as “Bears,”…
U.S. Brig. Gen. Maurizio Calabrese, who directs intelligence operations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, visited Royal Bahamas Defence Force officials at the Coral Harbour headquarters in July 2024. Capt. Glenn McPhee, right, gave Calabrese a tour of the facility. ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE THE WATCH STAFF U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Maurizio Calabrese, director of intelligence and information for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), met with senior members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) in July 2024. Calabrese toured Coral Harbour Base, meeting with…
Norway tested its new NOMADS air defense system in June 2024. The highly mobile, amphibious system, based on armored vehicles, will be able to rapidly defend against attacks like those launched against Ukraine by Russia. NORWEGIAN DEFENSE MATERIEL AGENCY (VIA BARENTS OBSERVER) THE WATCH STAFF The Norwegian Army tested its new highly mobile, amphibious National Manouvre Air Defence System (NOMADS) in June 2024 at Andøya, an island air base in the country’s far north. The base is also slated to be used for maritime surveillance military drones and U.S. troops and materiel after a recently signed defense agreement. The NOMADS…
An Australian study says the Chinese government’s push to monitor the habits of online users extends well beyond the social media app TikTok. AFP/GETTY IMAGES VOICE OF AMERICA An Australian study claims that the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) monitoring of global internet users’ online habits — a practice that has made TikTok controversial in the United States — extends far beyond the popular social media app to numerous other platforms and even online games. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a research organization that receives funding from the Australian government and others overseas, said in a May 2 report that…
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (front right), Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Finnish President Alexander Stubb tour on a rigid inflatable boat from Bodø harbor to Saltstraumen, Norway, on June 20, 2024. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF The leaders of three Scandinavian countries met in Norway’s Arctic territory in June 2024 to discuss the budding mutual defense relationship among Finland, Norway and Sweden and the increasing instability caused by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The June 19 to June 20 summit was held at Norway’s Bodø military complex, which was recently upgraded and consolidated to become Norway’s pulse…
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball, pictured, encountered three PRC naval vessels near the Aleutian Islands in July 2024. U.S. COAST GUARD THE WATCH STAFF People’s Republic of China (PRC) naval vessels sailed within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in July 2024 but didn’t enter U.S. territorial waters, the Coast Guard confirmed on July 10, 2024. The incident follows a highly publicized joint patrol of Russian and PRC naval ships in seas near Alaska in 2023. When contacted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball, PRC naval officials stated their purpose was “freedom of navigation operations,” an international maritime…
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks during a NATO public forum as part of the 2024 NATO Summit on July 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has violated the rules-based international order by evading sanctions and aiding Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, NATO leaders agreed in a statement during the alliance’s U.S. summit in July 2024. Days earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly condemned the PRC’s conduct, saying that it represented a significant security threat to Europe. Blinken referenced a joint statement from NATO and Japan…
Defense experts gathered at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in July 2024 to discuss challenges facing North American air and missile defense in the Arctic, especially increasing threats from Russia and the People’s Republic of China. U.S. ARMY THE WATCH STAFF The North American homeland is no longer a sanctuary free from external threat, and better missile and air defenses in the Arctic are critical for deterring and responding to increasing threats from adversarial nations, a panel of defense experts said in July 2024 at an event hosted by the Missile Defense Project of the Center for Strategic…
HMCS Charlottetown departed Novia Scotia on June 15, 2024, to participate in a NATO maritime task force in the Mediterranean Sea, part of Canada’s 10-year commitment to Operation Reassurance. ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY THE WATCH STAFF A Canadian frigate departed its home port in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in June 2024 to join a standing maritime NATO group in the Mediterranean Sea, demonstrating Canada’s longstanding commitment to supporting the alliance and further developing the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) interoperability with its allies. His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown is a Halifax-class frigate with a 240-person crew of Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Sailors…