U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John R. Evans, U.S. Army North commander, hosts personnel from federal, state, U.S. territories and military agencies at the hurricane-readiness drill held at Joint Base San Antonio–Fort Sam Houston. U.S. ARMY THE WATCH STAFF U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and U.S. Army North (USARNORTH) recently joined more than 150 military and civilian partners at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston as part of a defense support to civil authorities readiness drill ahead of hurricane season, which started June 1 and ends November 30. The May 24 exercise, called a hurricane rehearsal of concept drill (HRCD), focused on…
The Watch
THE WATCH STAFF Senior military leaders from the United States and Norway met recently at the headquarters of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), where they agreed to boost their already strong defense partnership — especially in the Arctic, a priority region for both nations. Lt. Gen. Yngve Odlo, commander of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters (NJHQ), and Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, visited Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado on June 20, 2023. They met with Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and USNORTHCOM, as well as Deputy Commander…
Assistant Secretary of Defense Melissa G. Dalton delivers the keynote address. THE WATCH STAFF Arctic partners convened at the headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) in May 2023 to exchange views on the Arctic’s key role in homeland defense. The Homeland Defense Institute and the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies hosted the Arctic and Homeland Defense Symposium on May 11, 2023. The event was in conjunction with NORAD’s 65th anniversary celebration on May 12, 2023. The symposium provided a forum where senior military leaders, government officials and academic experts discussed…
U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND The recent completion of a monthlong rotation by U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, as part of the Bomber Task Force Mission demonstrated the United States’ commitment to deterring aggression and promoting ally and partner cohesion globally. To maximize training opportunities and sharpen homeland defenses, the returning bombers were intercepted by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft as they entered the Air Defense Identification Zone off the coast of North America. The aircrew and maintenance personnel of these supersonic bombers, from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, showcased their ability to rapidly deploy…
West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare operators conduct high-altitude, cold weather mountaineering training during Arctic Edge 23, near Chickaloon, Alaska, in May 2023. Arctic Edge 23 provides an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to deploy Naval Special Warfare operators to the Arctic and develop skills for operating in austere environments. THE WATCH STAFF United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH) are rapidly deploying and exercising Special Operations Forces in Alaska as part of Operation Polar Dagger. Operating across several remote locations in August 2023, U.S. Special Operations Forces will demonstrate joint force readiness and development, extreme…
Dignitaries including U.S. Charge d’Affaires Usha E. Pitts, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis, third from left, and USNORTHCOM Lt. Gen. A.C. Roper, fourth from left, cut a ceremonial cake June 30, 2023. THE WATCH STAFF The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp sailed into Nassau for a three-day visit on June 28, 2023, to help the Bahamas commemorate both a half-century of independence and regional partnership with the United States. The highlight of the Wasp’s port call was a June 30 reception onboard the U.S. Navy vessel’s flight deck to honor the special occasion and the close partnership between both countries.…
The Watch Staff U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) with allies and partners continuously monitor Russian activities in the Indo-Pacific. The combatant commands comprise a crucial part of the globally integrated layered defense (GILD) network, which spans all regional boundaries and domains, enabling the seamless monitoring of global Russian maritime operations. In his 2023 Congressional testimony, Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and USNORTHCOM, stated, “Within the last year, Russia has also placed their Severodvinsk-class submarines in the Pacific… And it is just a matter of probably a year or…
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Ship Fairweather docks in front of Hubbard Glacier off the coast of Alaska. The hydrographic survey vessel primarily maps coastal waters to update nautical charts and mainly operates in Alaskan coastal waters. LT. CMDR. DAMIAN MANDA/NOAA TROY J. BOUFFARD AND DR. RYAN BURKE The White House in early October 2022 released its new National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR), a significant update since the 2013 inaugural edition. A few days later, the 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS) was released with Arctic-specific priority language included for the first time. Near the end of the…
A personnel carrier loaded with Russian troops enters the town of Gori during Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia, a precursor to current events in Ukraine. AFP/GETTY IMAGES ROB HUEBERT/UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Many have treated Russia’s renewed attack on Ukraine in February 2022 as if this is new behavior by the Russian state. Several Western leaders acted as if the invasion took them by surprise. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Russian militarization, especially within its Arctic region, is traceable to at least 2005 if not earlier. Russia’s recent actions in Ukraine are only part of a long-term approach…
A Chinese paramilitary police border guard trains in Heilongjiang province on the border with Russia. AFP/GETTY IMAGES MARC LANTEIGNE/UiT THE ARCTIC UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY Although the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 did not directly affect the geopolitics of the Arctic, strategic spillover from that conflict into the High North has been easy to detect. With the Arctic now being more directly incorporated into NATO’s strategic interests and with the alliance expanding to include Finland and potentially Sweden, there has been a de facto bifurcation of the Arctic into Western and Russian zones. The Arctic Council remains in near-abeyance,…