NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. President Joe Biden discuss recent increases in spending among nearly all NATO members since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine during Stoltenberg’s June 2024 visit to Washington, D.C. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Former Russian President Dimitry Medvedev urged fellow Russians to inflict “maximum harm” on Western countries’ infrastructure and daily life to retaliate for increasingly effective sanctions imposed by the West on Russia for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote an incendiary post on the messaging app Telegram. Medvedev has 1.3 million followers on his…
The Watch
The Mexican Navy Newport-class tank landing ship ARM Usumacinta arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Exercise Rim of the Pacific on June 26, 2024. U.S. NAVY THE WATCH STAFF The Mexican Navy sent a large contingent of female Sailors to the biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in Hawaii in July 2024, illustrating a strong commitment to embrace a force readiness and equal opportunity posture aligning with the U.S. Women, Peace and Security (WPS) initiative. The number of women in the Secretarìa de Marina (SEMAR) has increased from 14% of the force in 2020 to 22% in 2024.…
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar toured USNORTHCOM and NORAD facilities and discussed increased collaboration on security issues between Mexico and the U.S. with USNORTHCOM and NORAD Cmdr. Gen. Gregory T. Guillot. USNORTHCOM THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. ambassador to Mexico and the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) met in Colorado in July 2024 to discuss the strong Mexico-U.S. relationship and increasing collaboration on homeland defense issues. Ken Salazar, a former Secretary of the Interior and U.S. senator from Colorado, toured the Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex…
Norwegian troops take part in Nordic Response, a large-scale NATO exercise in the spring of 2024. Recently, Norway announceed a major boost in defense spending and signed an agreement with the U.S. to allow more collaboration between the allies. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Norway’s Parliament overwhelmingly approved an expanded defense agreement with the United States in late May 2024, the latest in a pattern of Nordic countries seeking closer collaboration with the U.S. and NATO. In February 2024, Norway agreed to amend a 2021 defense agreement with the U.S. to allow unimpeded access to 12 military areas in Norway,…
Canada celebrated the beginning of construction for three River-class destroyers in June 2024 in Halifax. The new ships mark the start of a major overhaul for the Royal Canadian Navy. IRVING SHIPBUILDING INC. (Artist Rendering) THE WATCH STAFF Canada’s top naval and defense officials gathered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in June 2024 to mark the beginning of construction of three new Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) warships. The three Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ships will be the first of what will be known as River-class destroyers and will be named His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Fraser, Saint-Laurent and Mackenzie. The ships…
Ray Donovan, chief of operations of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), stands in front of “The Faces of Fentanyl” wall, which displays photos of U.S. citizens who died of a fentanyl overdose, at the DEA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. AFP/GETTY IMAGES CELINA B. REALUYO/WILLIAM J. PERRY CENTER An opioid epidemic in the United States led to over 107,000 overdose deaths in 2022, with 70% of those due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. This lethal drug has become the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl and…
Denmark and Norway signed a letter of intent in May 2024 to collaborate on long-range maritime drones to patrol their Arctic territories. U.S. MARINE CORPS THE WATCH STAFF Norway and Denmark have agreed to collaborate on long-range maritime drone programs to improve domain awareness in the Arctic, a key path to the U.S. homeland. The two Nordic countries signed a letter of intent in late May 2024 formalizing the collaboration. Both Denmark and Norway announced major investments in maritime drones earlier this year. “Long-range drones are one of the investments in the Norwegian Defense Pledge to strengthen the ability to…
Relatives of crew members wave Danish flags as the frigate HDMS Iver Huitfeldt of the Royal Danish Navy arrives at the naval base in Korsoer, Denmark, on April 4, 2024. Denmark is increasing its defense spending to better meet its NATO obligations. AFP/GETTY IMAGES MAYA JOHNSON Denmark has committed to increase its defense spending from 2024 to 2028 by 35.2 billion DKK ($5.1 billion). This decision followed the Danish government’s proposal to boost defense spending in March 2024. Subsequently, in May 2024, the Parliament approved the proposed initiatives with a majority vote. This decision follows closely on the heels of…
Mexican troops guard the border at the banks of the Bravo River to prevent migrants from entering the United States from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua State, Mexico, on June 4, 2024. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF The Mexican Armed Forces had a busy two-week stretch in June 2024 with nearly 420,000 Soldiers, Sailors and National Guardsmen deployed across the country to stem the flow of illegal drugs, migrants and other criminal activity at the U.S. southern border, said the country’s Secretary of National Defense during a news conference at the presidential palace in Mexico City on June 25, 2024. The update…
A CF-18 Hornet flies over the Labrador region of Canada during a North American Aerospace Defense Command operation. The binational command stands as a testament to the strong bond between the Canadian and U.S. militaries. Master Cpl. Krista Blizzard/NORAD REAR ADM. SCOTT F. ROBERTSON AND COL. MICHAEL JONES/U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND The global security environment is changing at a scale not seen since World War II and at an unprecedented pace. With the change comes a renewed urgency to form deeper alliances and partnerships to counter common threats and collaborate on mutual interests, all built on a foundation of trust.…