Over Canada’s Pacific Coast, a U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle from the Portland Air National Guard refuels beneath a KC-135 Stratotanker from Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington during Operation Noble Defender. AIRMAN 1st CLASS JENNA A. BOND/U.S. AIR FORCE Navy SEALs aboard black-rubber raiding boats skim across a choppy sea off Alaska under the watchful eye of an F-22 Raptor. Later, they parachute from high above their target zone near an isolated coastal town. The commandos conduct reconnaissance in the fog using drones equipped with the latest in artificial intelligence technology. They operate from an expeditionary camp of Quonset…
The Watch
An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter played an integral role in a search and rescue demonstration. Alejandro Pena/U.S. Air Force The mission of Arctic search and rescue at its most basic is saving lives. But when the United States military trains for combat search and rescue and personnel recovery (SAR/PR) with allies, it also strengthens operational capabilities. “The ability to operate and succeed given the … harsh Arctic operating environment forever complicates any rescue, which is why it is so very important to exercise and reinforce rescue skill sets and capability,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph…
A Royal Canadian Navy diver performs mine countermeasure operations as part of the biennial Exercise Arctic Edge in March 2022 near Juneau, Alaska. CPL. HUGO MONTPETIT/CANADIAN ARMED FORCES BRIG. GEN. PASCAL GODBOUT/COMMANDER JOINT TASK FORCE NORTH Canada’s Arctic is immense, making up more than 40% of the country’s landmass and 75% of its coastline. Sparsely populated, with limited infrastructure and challenging weather, this beautiful yet austere region is of great strategic importance. The impact of climate change, increased activity and an evolving geopolitical environment has heightened interest in this area. Joint Task Force North (JTFN) is the Canadian Armed Forces…
LT. COL. MIKKEL PERLT/DANISH DEFENCE When most people think of North America, they probably think of the United States, Canada and perhaps Mexico, but few would instinctively name the Kingdom of Denmark as one of the continent’s countries. Still, Denmark is increasingly mentioned when it comes to the security of North America and, when looking at the map from the top of the world, the reason becomes clear. The commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, has identified geography as one of three parts of a globally integrated layered…
SARA OLSVIG/UNIVERSITY OF GREENLAND The longstanding defense relationship between Greenland and the United States has strengthened in recent years. As their self-government evolves, Greenlandic politicians have been increasingly vocal about their position on the country’s role in North American defense and security, and the messages are clear: Firstly, Greenland sees itself as an integral and important ally to the U.S. and NATO, and secondly, Greenland wishes to engage more directly with the U.S. on matters relating to trade and business development and defense and security. Recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in clear positioning by Naalakkersuisut, the government…
SVEIN EFJESTAD/NORWEGIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Norway chaired the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO) organization in 2022, a year dominated by the Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia’s war spurred Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership, while all Nordic countries continue to provide substantial military and civilian assistance to Ukraine. It is difficult to assess how the war will affect Arctic security. If the current regime in Moscow continues, the Arctic likely will be dominated by the adverse relationship between Russia and the West. If there is a new regime in Moscow, that also could lead to fundamental changes. The…
JANNE KUUSELA/FINLAND DEFENSE POLICY DIRECTOR The bids of Finland and Sweden to join NATO have brought the security of the Baltic Sea region into public awareness. However, Russia’s war against Ukraine also has changed the dynamics in the Arctic. Arctic “hard” security is a two-sided coin. One represents the region’s enduring strategic importance, while the other is about the geopolitics of melting polar ice. The sides are clearly connected, but they have evolved on slightly different tracks. Russia, with its vital security and economic interests in the Arctic, embodies both sides. Despite rising tensions in Europe, there has not been…
DR. P. WHITNEY LACKENBAUER and DR. ADAM LAJEUNESSE Since Russia’s unprovoked February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the world has witnessed the further spillover of international tensions into circumpolar affairs. Maintaining peace and stability in the Arctic, within a world of heightened uncertainty, has forced NATO partners to reevaluate threats, strategic responsibilities and opportunities for deeper collaboration as Arctic allies. In August 2022, after touring the Canadian Arctic, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg published an article in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail pointing to the myriad new threats facing the region. While the Arctic has traditionally been an area…
UNITED KINGDOM MINISTRY OF DEFENCE In search of established, proven practices for integrated deterrence, this article highlights the role of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). This powerful military framework focuses on the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions, and has several characteristics making it an effective option to senior decision-makers and a key element in participant nation defense. In June 2022, U.K. Chief of Defence Staff Adm. Sir Tony Radakin described the JEF as a reflection of how the U.K. and like-minded participant nations with shared operational experience and interests had pooled their high-readiness forces for global contingencies.…
SGT. JUSTIN SMITH/10TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP (AIRBORNE) Gen. Glen D. VanHerck uses a story to illustrate why the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) are implementing a digital strategy to redefine homeland defense: In 2015, a man flew a gyrocopter through restricted airspace — undetected — before landing on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. For VanHerck, the incident is emblematic of a rapidly changing security environment that requires NORAD and USNORTHCOM to accelerate efforts to better recognize, anticipate and act — “deter, deny, respond” — to threats that could range from…