The Watch

THE WATCH STAFF Military thinkers say the United States must achieve “decision superiority” to meet the evolving threats to the homeland. U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) have made it a strategic priority. Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of USNORTHCOM and NORAD, defines the principle simply: “At its heart, decision superiority is about giving senior leaders options,” he wrote in the journal Joint Force Quarterly in April 2021. “Decision superiority,” he said, “expands the aperture beyond kinetic kill into nonkinetic solutions.” Expanding that aperture is known as “deterrence by denial.” “That’s where I’m focused,”…

THE WATCH STAFF In a test that has far-reaching implications for U.S. cruise-missile technology, the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) recently made a successful free flight, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The HAWC vehicle, developed in a partnership between the U.S. Air Force and DARPA, made the flight during the week of September 20, 2021, according to a September 27 DARPA news release. (Pictured: An artist’s rendering of the HAWC.) This “was a successful demonstration of the capabilities that will make hypersonic cruise missiles a highly effective tool for our warfighters,” Andrew Knoedler, HAWC program manager…

THE WATCH STAFF The United States recently announced U.S. $10 million in economic aid for Greenland — the latest sign that the world’s biggest island plays an increasingly crucial role in Arctic affairs. The aid package agreed to September 15, 2021, is primarily aimed at developing mining, tourism and education, Reuters reported. The U.S. is seeking to forge closer ties with Greenland to counter the commercial and military buildup in the region by Russia and China, Reuters said. The island, which has a population of 57,000, is an autonomous Danish territory. It has long been home to Thule Air Base,…

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, pictured, held his first talks as Japan’s new leader with U.S. President Joe Biden and confirmed they will work to strengthen their alliance and cooperate in regional security in the face of growing challenges from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and North Korea. Kishida, who was elected by Japan’s parliament and sworn in October 4, 2021, told reporters that President Biden reassured him of the United States’ commitment to defend the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The PRC also claims the islands and has escalated coast guard activity…

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is taking input on its plan to build an advanced mobile nuclear microreactor prototype at the Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho. The department began a 45-day comment period September 24, 2021, with the release of a draft environmental-impact study evaluating alternatives for building and operating the microreactor that could produce 1 to 5 megawatts of power. The mobile reactors can be used to power remote operating bases and could reduce the need for investment in costly power infrastructure as the department’s energy needs increase, according to DOD documents. “A safe,…

THE WATCH STAFF As strategic competition heats up in the Arctic, the United Kingdom is offering to take part in cold-weather exercises with the Canadian military and to commit its nuclear-powered submarines to the endeavor. Gen. Sir Nick Carter, the top British military commander, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) that his country is “keen to cooperate” and learn more about how to survive and fight in the region. Carter said that Britain would also like to help “Canada do what Canada needs to do as an Arctic country,” according to a September 24, 2021, CBC News story. Canada has historically…

THE WATCH STAFF The U.S. Navy took another flight toward realizing its “air wing of the future” when an unmanned tanker conducted the first aerial refueling with an F-35C Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35C is the third type of Navy aircraft to top off from the MQ-25 Stingray, which is designed to deploy to carrier strike groups. The flight with Boeing’s unmanned test aircraft was conducted September 13 near MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Illinois. During the three-hour flight, an F-35C from the Air Test Wing and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) performed formation evaluations, wake surveys, drogue tracking and…

THE WATCH STAFF Russia’s disinformation campaigns are built on five “pillars” that work together to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda and sow division, according to the U.S. Department of State (DOS). By understanding how those pillars operate — especially the use of “proxy sources” — the United States and the West can counteract Russia’s tactics, DOS official John Spykerman said. Spykerman spoke on “Information Resilience: Countering Russian Propaganda and Disinformation” during a September 29, 2021, video conference as part of the Distinguished Speaker series presented by the Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia and U.S. Northern Command. His talk drew from…

Nataliia Haluhan The Arctic ice cap has melted significantly over the past 50 years. Such climate change not only creates challenges and opportunities in terms of changing the region’s accessibility, it also shapes a new political context in the area. As a consequence, the security landscape is being rapidly modified, and that has implications in the new strategic documents of key regional and extraregional players. The situation is becoming more uncertain in light of Russia’s Arctic Council chairmanship, which started this year and is expected to last until 2023. Assessing the political aggressiveness levels of the main actors can provide…

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The U.S. should explore ways to expand its military contacts with the Russians, potentially to include allowing observers from each country to watch the other’s combat exercises, in a broad effort to increase transparency and reduce the risk of conflict, the top U.S. military officer said. U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met in Finland for six hours September 22, 2021, with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff. Speaking to two reporters traveling with him back to the U.S., Milley said that military contacts between…