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…
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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…
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…
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…