THE WATCH STAFF U.S. Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH) welcomed representatives of special operations forces (SOF) from almost a dozen partner nations February 9, 2022, at its Colorado headquarters. SOCNORTH hosted U.S. Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) J3 International Interoperability Branch (J3I) whose participants included SOF from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia. The mission of J3I is to provide a headquarters component for SOF personnel seeking to coordinate or collaborate with partner nations on operations, capability development or other multinational issues, according to USSOCOM. SOCNORTH is the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) component…
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THE WATCH STAFF The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) announced that its migrant apprehensions increased dramatically in 2021 when compared with the previous year. RBDF Commodore Raymond King said during a January 2022 news conference that detainments in the Bahamas increased by 456% in the past year, according to The Tribune, a Bahamian newspaper. King said the RBDF is faced with “people smugglers” who are using more sophisticated methods to evade authorities. The huge increase in apprehensions is most likely tied to the influx of Haitian migrants, King said, according to The Tribune. The sea-borne smuggling of Haitian migrants has…
THE WATCH STAFF The speed and maneuverability of hypersonic missiles like those being developed by Russia and the People’s Republic of China make them an unprecedented threat to the U.S. homeland. At least, that’s been the consensus. But a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says the United States military may be able to use the strength of the weapons — which travel at five times the speed of sound and greater — against them. “It turns out, every feature that makes hypersonic missiles attractive also comes with a cost,” said Dr. Tom Karako, co-author…
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Israel announced on January 18, 2022, that it had successfully tested a system designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere. The Arrow Weapon System is part of an array of missile defenses Israel has developed in recent years to protect itself in any future conflict with archenemy Iran or regional militant groups, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah or the Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip, both allies of Iran. The Defense Ministry said the system detected the target and fired two Arrow 3 interceptors at it, calling the mission a success. “With every step forward,…
U.S. Strategic Command A United States Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, flew a round trip Bomber Task Force mission on February 1, 2022, from the frigid Midwest plains of the U.S. to the skies above the United Kingdom to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the U.S. 8th Air Force. The B-1B strategic bomber was joined over Royal Air Force (RAF) Duxford by several RAF F-35 combat aircraft and U.S. F-15 fighters from RAF Lakenheath, pictured, to recognize the anniversary. The event also underscored the special partnership between the U.S. and U.K. “The 8th…
THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has launched a Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (OCDAO) whose mission is to coordinate such strategies across the military. John Sherman, the recently confirmed DOD chief information officer (CIO), will serve as the acting chief digital and artificial intelligence officer (CDAO) until the first-of-its-kind position is filled permanently, according to a February 4, 2022, DOD News story. “(It’s) an honor to be able to help get this organization stood up while performing my chief information officer duties,” Sherman said in a February 2 call with reporters, according to DOD News. (Pictured: John Sherman, now the…
THE WATCH STAFF When an undersea cable connecting Norway to the Svalbard archipelago was disabled recently, global concerns resurfaced about safeguarding vital telecommunications links. The fiber-optic cable — the northernmost of its kind in the world — is a key element of the Norwegian Arctic infrastructure and provides broadband telecommunications that include space activities at Svalbard, according to owner Space Norway AS. The disruption, which occurred January 7, 2022, immediately raised suspicions about sabotage amid the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Space Norway AS said the cable is one of two, which ensures redundancy, and permanent repairs would be made…
THE WATCH STAFF Russia’s increased military presence in the Arctic and how it views the region are inseparable, experts say. “The Arctic is central to Russian national security — full stop. Doesn’t matter how you define it. And that will be their critical zone of action,” said Dr. Rob Huebert of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Huebert and Dr. Katarzyna Zysk of the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies in Oslo spoke January 27, 2022, as part of the Arctic Academic eTalks, a bimonthly virtual forum on key issues affecting the region. Both scholars noted that Russia’s Arctic focus…
REUTERS North Korea confirmed on January 31, 2022, that it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile, sparking fears the nuclear-armed state could resume long-range testing. The launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities January 30. It was the seventh test conducted by North Korea in January and the first time a nuclear-capable missile of that size has been launched since 2017. The United States is concerned that North Korea’s escalating missile tests could be precursors to resumed tests of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and vowed an unspecified response “designed to show our commitment…
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The USS Abraham Lincoln deployed in early January 2022 from San Diego, California, under the command of Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, the first woman to lead a nuclear carrier in U.S. Navy history. Bauernschmidt, who previously served as the Abraham Lincoln’s executive officer from 2016 to 2019, took over command from Capt. Walt Slaughter during a ceremony, pictured, in August 2021. The carrier deployed January 3, 2022, from Naval Air Station North Island as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. “There is no more humbling sense of responsibility than to know you are entrusted with the…