Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Charles Washington Misick, second from right, attends a ceremony to celebrate the launch of the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force on October 30, 2023. TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS GOVERNMENT THE WATCH The Turks and Caicos Islands has taken another step toward fielding a fully operational border-control agency to meet the increasing threats posed by illegal immigration and other challenges. The Ministry of Immigration and Border Services launched the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force (TCIBF) on October 30, 2023, with a plan to gradually integrate customs, immigration and its work-permit unit into a unified…
The Watch
Canada will host a NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence in Montreal to develop strategies to address the impacts of climate change. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF A new NATO-aligned research, training and operational exercise center will open in Canada to generate and share expertise about how the changing climate affects defense and security for the alliance. The opening of the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence in Montreal is the result of a three-year effort by Canadian leaders to establish an innovation hub on the subject. When announcing Canada’s initiative at the June 2021 NATO…
Members of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command conduct pre-mission training in Petawawa, Ontario, on January 16, 2024, for Exercise Steadfast Defender 24. CANADIAN ARMED FORCES THE WATCH STAFF Approximately 1,000 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) sailors, soldiers, aviators and special forces personnel are participating in Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, the largest NATO exercise in decades. Planned for three years, Steadfast Defender 24 will include 90,000 military personnel, more than 50 naval assets, over 80 aircraft, and at least 1,100 combat vehicles, according to a CAF news release. Steadfast Defender 24 simulates an Article 5 adversarial attack and is designed to showcase…
A new U.S. intelligence update says the PRC and Russia have stepped up efforts to develop technologies to disrupt or destroy U.S. satellite capabilities. NASA THE WATCH STAFF Satellites form an integral part of 21st century life, performing vital functions in the private sector and in national defense. The number of satellites orbiting Earth increased to 7,096 by the end of 2022, a sevenfold increase from a decade earlier. The U.S., Russia, and the PRC have the most satellites in orbit, and strategic competition on the ground is beginning to be reflected in the skies above. A new joint report…
Finland announced in February 2024 that it would continue to close its land border crossings with Russia until April 2024. Finnish leaders say Russia is intentionally attempting to undermine the Nordic country’s national security by pushing asylum seekers over the border. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF Finland has extended the closure of its 1,320-kilometer land border with Russia until April 14, 2024, the Finnish government announced. The closure was extended because of Russia’s continued funneling of migrants toward border crossings in what the Finns called a “hybrid operation” meant to punish Finland for joining NATO. “We have seen no signs…
Royal Bahamas Defence Force leaders participate in a January 26, 2024, discussion with U.S. officials about developing a Women, Peace and Security initiative. MARINE SEAMAN RICKEY SEALEY/ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE THE WATCH STAFF U.S. officials visited the Bahamas in late January 2024 to discuss a strategic initiative to promote gender equality and equity in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). RBDF Commodore Raymond King and his executive leadership met with Tiffani Phillips, U.S. Northern Command’s (USNORTHCOM) gender advisor, Dr. Samantha Ross of the Impact and Women, Peace and Security Council, and Capt. Jonathan Griffin from the U.S. Embassy in the…
Norwegian Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram and U.S. Ambassador to Norway Marc Nathanson signed an agreement to increase U.S. access to eight more military facilities in Norway, bringing the total to 12. NORWAY MINISTRY OF DEFENCE THE WATCH STAFF Norway and the United States significantly expanded their existing defense agreement in February 2024, adding eight more Norwegian military bases that will be used for joint training, munitions and equipment depots. The Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA) builds on a 2021 pact that gave U.S. troops access to four Norwegian bases. The new agreement bolsters the total to 12 bases. “In…
Capt. Aris Papanicolaou of the Canadian Armed Forces manages the air battle space from 22 Wing North Bay on January 25, 2024. The Canadian Air Defence Sector, part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, recently completed a demonstration of cloud-based, command-and-control technology that will allow for faster, more informed decision making. MST. CPL. JIM SAUNDERS/CANADIAN ARMED FORCES THE WATCH STAFF Canada is nearing implementation of a cloud-based command-and-control system, a major technological upgrade that will quicken battlefield decisions and offer real-time artificial intelligence-powered suggestions for military action. Canadian Air Defence Sector (CADS), part of the binational North American Aerospace…
Denmark plans a $400 million purchase of long-range drones to upgrade its reconnaissance capabilities. THE WATCH STAFF Denmark has announced an ambitious new drone acquisition program to upgrade its Arctic defense. The $400 million purchase of long-range drones will help meet NATO obligations and show strength in an increasingly strategic region. “We need to use more muscle in the region,” said Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in January 2024. The allocation, part of a longer-term military upgrade hammered out in a 2022 parliamentary agreement, also calls for an advanced air warning radar on the Faroe Islands, an autonomous…
A security guard keeps watch as an AI-powered system developed by Chinese tech firm Megvii screens commuters for fevers as they enter a metro station in Beijing. The U.S. Department of Defense added Megvii to a list in February 2024 that calls out Chinese firms that assist Beijing’s military. AFP/GETTY IMAGES REUTERS The United States in early February 2024 added more than a dozen Chinese companies to a list created by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to highlight firms it says are working with Beijing’s military as part of a broader effort to keep U.S. technology from aiding the…