The Watch

THE WATCH STAFF Canada’s close military and economic ties with the United States are taking the spotlight with a series of high-level meetings and the expansion of a major weapons partnership. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on June 7, 2022, during a trip to attend the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. Trudeau was accompanied in Colorado Springs by Anita Anand, Canada’s defense minister. “The Canada-United States partnership is forged by shared geography, values, and interests, deep personal connections, and strong economic ties,” according to the…

THE WATCH STAFF With Russia already occupying the Arctic and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) calling itself a “near-Arctic nation,” the United States must work toward greater persistence in the region to ensure its position as a player there, the commander of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) has said. This year, the U.S. military and its allies have made a number of moves in that direction. Here are some highlights: The military exercise Arctic Edge 2022 showcased interoperability among services and nations. The U.S. Navy has added new capabilities to its logistics in the high north. Special operators are adapting…

REUTERS Patrol craft manned by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force set off each day from a former luxury resort hotel as the archipelago nation works to control a spike in migrants attempting to reach the United States on often rickety and overloaded boats. One increasingly popular hub for human smugglers is the island chain of Bimini, which is less than 50 nautical miles from Florida and is best known for its pristine turquoise seas and wealthy tourists on yachts. In January 2022, a sole survivor was found clinging to a capsized vessel that had been carrying him and 39 other…

REUTERS Canada said it plans to ban the use of 5G gear made by China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp. to protect national security, joining the rest of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. “We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks,” Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa. “Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it under the plans we’re announcing today (May 19, 2022).” Champagne added that companies will be required to remove their 5G gear by June 2024, and companies using their…

THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Army’s new 11th Airborne Division is strategically positioned to counter threats from potential foes Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) after its June 6, 2022, activation at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, Alaska. “You have an operational headquarters that could … [fight] across the Indo-Pacific,” incoming division commander Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commander of U.S. Army Alaska, told the Army Times newspaper, adding that the unit’s capabilities and expertise enable it to fight across Arctic nations as well. The new division is under control of U.S. Army Pacific and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.…

THE WATCH STAFF Canadian defense spending is on an “upward trajectory” as the country tries to reach NATO goals in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in the midst of a host of evolving security threats, the country’s defense minister told business leaders in May 2022. “We will continue enhancing our capabilities in terms of the resources and support for the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as in terms of our commitments to NATO and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command),” Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on May 18, 2022, according to…

THE WATCH STAFF Struck by a single missile launched from a fighter jet, a container ship the length of three football fields took just 40 seconds to sink beneath the Gulf of Mexico. The plunging tip of its bow was the last to disappear, sending a geyser skyward. The experiment known as the Quicksink Joint Capability Technology Demonstration, conducted April 28, 2022, by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Eglin Air Force Base Integrated Test Team, had earned its name. The missile represents the modification of a modification: A special “seeking” device for added precision and acquisition is attached…

REUTERS Copenhagen’s pledge of Harpoon anti-ship missiles and a launcher to Ukraine, announced by the United States on May 23, 2022, is the first sign since the Russian invasion in February that Kyiv will receive U.S.-made weapons that significantly extend its striking range. Ukraine has been seeking more advanced weapons such as air defenses, anti-ship missiles and longer-range rockets, but the majority of aid has been in short-range systems such as Javelin anti-tank weapons and artillery. The Harpoons, made by Boeing Co., could be used to push the Russian navy away from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, allowing exports of grain…

REUTERS The Biden administration on May 20, 2022, once again placed Cuba on a short list of countries the United States alleges are “not cooperating fully” in its fight against terrorism, further inflaming tensions with its longtime rival. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in the final assessment published in the U.S. Federal Register, named Cuba among five countries — along with Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Syria — that the U.S. says fall short of its expectations. The State Department is required by law to provide this list annually to the U.S. Congress. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez anticipated the…

THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Air Force has let fly with a hypersonic arrow — the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). The Air Force’s first successful flight test of the missile May 14, 2022, came after three unsuccessful ones. During the latest test off the coast of Southern California, the AGM-183A ARRW deployed from the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress, achieved booster ignition, then burned for an “expected duration” while reaching hypersonic speeds,according to a May 16, 2022, Air Force news release. Hypersonic weapons are highly maneuverable missiles that travel at least five times the speed of sound. The 419th…