General Gregory M. Guillot, right, accepts command of the North American Aerospace Defense Command from Canadian Armed Forces Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne D. Eyre during a change of command ceremony at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, on February 5, 2024. JOSHUA ARMSTRONG/NORAD THE WATCH STAFF In a change-of-command ceremony on February 5, 2024, General Gregory M. Guillot became the new commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, where he took over for retiring General Glen D. VanHerck. General Gregory M. Guillot previously served…
The Watch
Mexican and U.S. military leaders participate in a Command and Control Interoperability Board meeting at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado. JOSHUA ARMSTRONG/U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THE WATCH STAFF U.S. and Mexican military officials are improving operational compatibility between their respective command and control systems and bolstering cyber defenses. The Command and Control Interoperability Board (CCIB) 23-2 initiated plans for a Cyber Working Group and tabletop exercises at its December 4-6, 2023 meeting to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer matches in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Command and control refers to the exercise of authority by a…
The Longshot unmanned aircraft, a project of General Atomics and the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, is displayed at the Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference in September 2023. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND More than 50 nations have joined the United States in setting guidelines for use of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous weapons systems in ways that adhere to international law, according to a top U.S. military official. As AI becomes more prominent in weapons development and other military applications, stakeholders are developing rules that govern its use. At issue is the need…
The Peregrine 1 space mission, pictured shortly before its January 2024 launch, failed to reach the moon because of a fuel leak, but five microrobots on board represented a major advance for Mexico’s fledgling space program. THE WATCH STAFF With advances in space-ready nanotechnology, a new space education center on the horizon, and an emphasis on resilience, Mexico is making huge strides with its space ambitions. Mexican space authorities recently hailed the development of five microrobots designed as “robot bees” for lunar use. Weighing a mere 56 grams each, the microrobots are solar powered and have tiny fins to help…
The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Pasadena (SSN 752) breaks through the ice off the coast of Alaska in ICEX, which happened concurrently with Arctic Edge 22. PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS TREY HUTCHINSON, U.S. NAVY COL. MATTHEW TUCKER, COMMANDER, SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND NORTH NATO’s North American and northern European homelands are no longer immune to malign activity directed against our way of life. Strategic competitors, seeking to transform these sanctuaries into isolated garrisons, aim to deny us the ability to project the force necessary for our collective defense. Irresponsible actions in the High North threaten the international norms and rules…
A successful operation took place in January 2024 when the HBMS Nassau, pictured, intercepted a vessel carrying more than 200 undocumented migrants. ROYAL BAHAMAS DEFENCE FORCE THE WATCH STAFF A Haitian vessel carrying more than 200 undocumented migrants was apprehended in recent weeks in another successful joint effort involving the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and the United States. The operation, part of a regional partnership called Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), began when aircraft spotted the Haitian vessel sailing 22 nautical miles southwest of Southwest Point West Caicos on January 5, 2024. The HMBS Nassau, commanded…
Lt. Gen. Blaise Frawley discusses security challenges in the Arctic as part of his keynote address to the 2023 N3SP Fall Workshop. N3SP DERON R. JACKSON A Colorado-based education partnership is tackling the dilemma of how to lure more of the brightest minds to study national security issues and strategy. Thanks to a 2021 gift from the Anschutz Foundation, the cooperative effort was begun by the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the United States Air Force Academy. Having set out to improve the interaction among their faculty and students and increase the…
Acting Police Commissioner Rodney Adams praised the effectiveness of recent police operations in the Turks and Caicos Islands to help stem illegal smuggling, migration and gang violence. TURKS AND CAICOS POLICE THE WATCH STAFF The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) have turned the corner on a violent crime wave with the help of regional partners and forces targeting organized crime groups, police officials in the British Overseas Territory said at a year-end news conference. Acting Police Commissioner Rodney Adams cited a 30% drop in homicides and even greater reductions in robberies and firearm discharges compared with 2022. Adams acknowledged the…
North American Aerospace Defense Command F-16 fighter jets prepare to take off to intercept a “track of interest” aircraft as part of Amalgam Eagle 23, a live-fly air defense exercise. MICHAEL DOUGHERTY/U.S. AIR FORCE THE WATCH STAFF Seamlessly tracking common aerial threats along the U.S.-Mexican border. Picture this: A private plane en route from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, goes quiet. The pilot fails to respond to repeated communications from air traffic control. U.S. authorities designate the plane a track of interest (TOI) and notify Mexican authorities. Both nations scramble aircraft to intercept the suspicious plane. An F-16…
A Finnish border crossing with Russia. Finland recently signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement with the U.S. allowing troops and material to be used on its soil. AFP/GETTY IMAGES THE WATCH STAFF NATO’s newest member, Finland, which shares a border with Russia, signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement on December 18, 2023, with the United States that would let Washington send troops into the Nordic country to bolster its defense and store weapons and military equipment there. Under the deal, Finland will allow U.S. troops access to 15 military areas and facilities covering the entire Nordic nation all the way from…