Norwegian Soldiers patrol the border with Russia in 2022. Norway recently announced it was mulling the construction of a border wall to deter the type of state-sponsored illegal migration that prompted Finland to close its border with Russia and begin building a wall. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Norway may follow its Nordic neighbor Finland in constructing a fence along its 198-kilometer border with Russia, the country’s justice minister told Norway’s public broadcaster in late September 2024. A border wall is one of several measures being contemplated by the NATO member to strengthen its security, The Associated Press reported. Justice…
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A Russian submarine is monitored by the crew of the HMCS Shawinigan on August 29, 2024, as it transits through the Baltic Sea. ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY THE WATCH STAFF Two Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) warships recently encountered Russian vessels during a deployment to the north Atlantic and Baltic Sea and tracked their movements over nearly three weeks. The RCN ships operated seamlessly with their United Kingdom and Spanish NATO counterparts to maintain domain awareness in a critical communications and energy maritime crossroads. HMCS Shawinigan and HMCS Charlottetown were conducting vigilance activities between August 29 and September 18, 2024, when they…
The Mexican Navy and state and federal prosecutors celebrated the incineration in October 2024 of more than six metric tons of illicit drugs captured from cartels. MEXICAN NAVY THE WATCH STAFF The Mexican Navy announced the seizure and incineration of more than six metric tons of illicit drugs in October 2024. Naval officials from the Third Naval Region together with representatives from the Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in the State of Veracruz attended the ceremonial incineration, which also disposed of 26 other unnamed objects involved in drug crimes, according to a Mexican Navy news release. Chemists…
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell rescued 169 Haitian migrants near the Turks and Caicos Islands in October 2024. Haitians have fled the violence and poverty in their country in increasing numbers in the last several years. U.S. COAST GUARD THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 169 Haitian migrants from a makeshift vessel that was rapidly taking on water in October 2024, as people fleeing the troubled Caribbean nation continue to make risky journeys to escape violence and poverty. Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), a 42-year-old partnership involving the U.S. and two regional partners, the Bahamas and…
The China’s state-of-the-art nuclear attack submarine sank while undergoing final sea checks near Wuhan in May 2024. PLA ARMY NAVY The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine sank in port in mid-2024, according to two U.S. news organizations, an embarrassing incident that PRC officials rushed to cover up. The sinking raised the possibility that the damaged vessel leaked nuclear fuel into the ocean, and it potentially offered another example of how endemic corruption within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy compromises its operational capabilities. Reuters and The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported in September 2024 that…
Troops under the direction of U.S. Northern Command help Florida residents after Hurricane Milton made landfall in October 2024. U.S. AIR FORCE THE WATCH STAFF U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) positioned troops, supplies and other equipment in advance of Hurricane Milton in October 2024 as part of its mission of supporting civil authorities during natural disasters. USNORTHCOM’s disaster response was the second in two weeks after troops from Fort Liberty in North Carolina coordinated with the National Guard to reach isolated mountain communities in search and rescue operations and provided crucial supplies in the wake of Hurricane Helene. U.S. Army North,…
Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) members attend a send-off ceremony before their six-month deployment to Haiti. ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE THE WATCH STAFF The Bahamas sent its first contingent of troops to neighboring Haiti in October 2024 to aid in restoring security to a country besieged by violence. The deployment is part of a U.N. Security Council mission to stabilize the eastern Caribbean. Six members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) departed as an advance team to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM), an effort spearheaded by the intergovernmental group Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in partnership with international allies such…
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, far right, listens to remarks at NATO’s 75th Anniversary celebration in April 2024. Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, left, and Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, center left, met with Joly and other Nordic defense ministers in September 2024 to discuss strengthening security ties in the Arctic. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Canada has launched a diplomatic and security initiative with its Nordic partners, focusing on strengthening the alliance of Arctic NATO members and countering an uptick in “dual-use” technology in the Arctic by Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).…
As residents struggled in the wake of Hurricane Helene, about 1,500 active-duty U.S. Army troops deployed to aid relief efforts, supporting thousands of National Guardsmen. U.S. ARMY THE WATCH STAFF As another massive hurricane bore down on Florida in October 2024, thousands of active-duty U.S. Army and National Guardsmen had already been working for nearly two weeks to aid relief efforts in devastated communities after Hurricane Helene’s landfall. U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) synchronized its efforts with the lead federal organization, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as Helene approached to assist in rescue efforts and deliver crucial supplies like generators.…
Central American and Caribbean air chiefs met in Tucson, Arizona, in August 2024 to discuss ways to better integrate and support each other to combat illegal trafficking, climate change and other regional matters. DIÁLOGO AMERICAS ILLUSTRATION R. EVAN ELLIS/U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE From August 26-29, 2024, I had the honor of participating as the moderator of the Central America and Caribbean Air Chiefs Conference, hosted by the leadership of U.S. Air Forces Southern (12th Air Force) in Tucson, Arizona. The event was an opportunity for the heads of the air forces of the region to discuss shared challenges, from organized…