Arctic Defence:Operation NOBLE DEFENDER

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) sucessfully completed Operation NOBLE DEFENDER,a dynamic force employment operation,last month.It ran from 15-31 January 2023.The drills spanned multiple locations from Alaska to Greenland.Said NORAD and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) commander General Glen Van Herck,US Air Force: Operation NOBLE DEFENDER sucessfully demonstrated our willingness and capability to conduct operations above the Arctic Circle in even the harshest weather conditions,and proved a concept of integration with key Arctic partners to defend northern approaches to North America.* Locations of OND included Thule Air Base,Greenland;Iqaluit Forward Operating Location,Nunavut,Canada;5 Wing Goose Bay,Newfoundland and Labrador,Canada;and Eielson Air Force Base,Alaska.Some 225 US Forces and Canadian Forces personnel supported and operated a wide range of aircraft,including four F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters;three Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets;four KC-135 refueling tankers;one RCAF Airbus CC-150 Polaris transport/refueling tanker;one E-3 Sentry AWACS;and one Canadian Forces AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopter.* OND marked an historic first-ever deployment of F-35As to Thule Air Base,Greenland,with the permission of NATO Ally the Kingdom of Denmark.* The drills culminated with CF-18 Hornets escorting a U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber posing as an adversary through Northern Canada and the Central US.The joint operation demonstrated collaboration and integration with mission partners to defend the entirety of our northern approaches and the necessity of force integration to the defence of North America.* In the course of OND,CF-18 Hornets from 3 Wing,Bagotville,Quebec took off from Iqaluit Airport in Nunavut.Special Operations Forces from U.S. Special Operations Command North parachuted out of a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter to a location off the Bering Sea.F-22 Raptors soared overhead and inflatable boats from Commander Naval Special Warfare Group One headed for shore.* OND is a recurring operation throughout the year,maintaining mission readiness in varied environments and preserving the capacity for follow-on operations,NORAD said.OND validates the command's capability to defend the US and Canada against threats from every avenue of approach to the continent.This is especilly relevant in light of Russia's Arctic buildup in recent years as they revamped Cold War bases and built new ones.China is also stepping up its Arctic military operations.*

Arctic Edge 20:Preparing North America for Advanced Threats

On 13 February 2020,General Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy,US Air Force,commander of US NORTHCOM and NORAD,read a statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee.It was a chilling account of what our totalitarian adversaries have been doing recently to degrade American power and leadership in the 21st century:
However,our key adversaries watched and learned,invested in capabilities to offset our strengths while exploiting our weaknesses,and have demonstrated patterns of behavior that indicate they currently have the capability,capacity,and intent to hold our homeland at significant risk below the threshold of nuclear war.This is emboldening competitors and adversaries to challenge us at home,holding at risk our people,our critical infrastructure,and our ability to project power forward.
The threats facing our nation are real and significant.The Arctic is no longer a fortress wall,our oceans are no longer protective moats;they are now avenues of approach for advanced conventional weapons and the platforms that carry them.Our adversaries' capability to directly attack the homeland has leapt forward,and they are engaged in concerted efforts to weaken our national technological,economic,and strategic advantage.*
The strategic threat to the homeland has entered a new era.Key adversaries Russia and China have deployed and continue to advance a range of capabilities with nuclear,conventional,and cyberspace weapons,believing it to be an effective means of offsetting Western military advantages and limiting our options in a crisis.*
Hence the upcoming NORAD/NORTHCOM Exercise Arctic Edge 20 could not be more welcome than it is now.This biannual,bi-national joint training exercise with the Canadian Armed Forces from 24 February-6 March 2020 will range across Alaska,providing high quality and effective training in the extreme cold-weather conditions found in the Arctic,a press release stated.AE 20 will be the largest joint exercise to be staged in Alaska this year.About 1,000 US personnel from all the Armed Forces will participate.NORAD and NORTHCOM will contribute complimentary,multi-domain capabilities toward the defence of the US and Canada.
What is more,AE 20 will be linked to the National Guard's Arctic Eagle exercise and the US Navy's Ice Exercise (ICEX),the press release stated.All these drills will take place from February-March 2020 in order to prepare Arctic-capable forces across all domains of warfighting.Members of the Canadian Joint Operations Command are expected to participate in the preparation and testing of the joint military forces' ability to operate tactically in the extreme and austere Arctic environments.

Thule Air Base:NATO's Arctic Nerve Centre - plus what the US intends to do there

According to the US Air Force,Thule Air Base,Greenland,is a combined US-Canadian-Danish and Greenlandic environment of about 550 military,civilian and contractor personnel.It is supported by the US Air Force Space Command's 821st Air Base Group,which enables force projection,space superiority,and scientific research in the Arctic Region for the US and its allies through integrated base support and defence operations.The 821st operates and maintains TAB in support of its missile warning and satellite command and control operations missions.The base's missions are executed by the 12th Space Warning Squadron and Detachment 1,23rd Space Operations Squadron.*
TAB provides a 10,000 foot runway that handles more than 3,000 US and international flights annually,as well as the world's northernmost deep water port,served by the Air Force's only tugboat and a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker.*
The 12th Space Warning Squadron operates the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System for NORAD.It detects and tracks ICBMs launched against North America.Detachment 1 is part of the 50th Space Wing's global satellite control network.*
Located 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle,above the aurora borealis,TAB hosts the 21st Space Wing's global network of sensors,thus providing missile warning,space surveillance and space control to NORAD and Air Force Space Command.It is a critical node of space situational awareness.For its part,Detachment 1 links ground stations and their satellites.
Among TAB's tenants are scientific organisations such as the National Science Foundation;NASA;the Smithsonian Institution;the Danish Technological Institute;the Danish Meteorological Institute;and the Arctic Institute.Their research topics include wildlife migration;climate change;and astrophysics.*
On 16 September 2018,USDP (Undersecretary of Defense for Policy) John Rood signed a Statement of Intent on Defense Investments in Greenland while on a visit to TAB:
This Statement of Intent lays out principles for investing in Greenland to enhance US military operational flexibility and situational awareness in order to address the changing security environment in the Arctic.In light of this development and in an effort to strengthen US and NATO capabilities,the US Department of Defense intends to pursue potential strategic investment vigorously,including investments that may serve dual military and civilian purposes.For example,the US Department of Defense intends to analyze and,where appropriate,strategically invest in projects related to the airport infrastructure in Greenland,including projects that may have dual civilian and military benefits.These investments would seek to enhance US and NATO capabilities in the North Atlantic region and would benefit the United States,the Kingdom of Denmark,and the people of Greenland.*
TAB is also critical for the support of Canada's remote Arctic outposts,Canadian Forces Station Alert,which is reportedly a SIGINT collection platform,and Eureka Research Station.Cargo for the brutal winter months is delivered to the stations from TAB in the biannual Operation Boxtop,involving an intensive flight schedule for Canadian transport aircraft and US Air Force air traffic controllers.*
Another recent mission at TAB involved Danish F-16 aircraft flights as part of ascertaining capability for search and rescue missions over Greenland and defining logistical requirements for potential future F-16 operations.*
Air Force Security Forces execute battle drills at TAB,thus tailoring training to a hands-on and mission-specific approach.

NATO's Trident Juncture 2018 at Full Force

The largest NATO exercise in recent memory is now fully engaged in overcoming wintry challenges in Northern and Central Norway.Trident Juncture 18 got underway with the US Marines doing preliminary training in Iceland in mid-October.This was followed by the Live Field Exercise beginning on 25 October and extending to 7 November.
The Marines have provided the biggest contingent from the US military at the drills.Landing in Iceland via the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) amphibious assault ship,dozens of Marines secured Keflavik Air Base on 17 October and set up a communications relay point before turning the base over to Icelandic National Police armed with automatic weapons.On 19 October,the Marines marched inland to a cold weather training site attired in watch caps,gaiters and snow/mud boots.
Altogether,more than 14,000 US troops from the Army,Navy,Marines and Air Force are participating in TJ 18.
On 29 October,the Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit went on to conduct an amphibious assault in the Landing Craft Air-Cushioned at Alvund,Norway.*
Operationally,the focus of the drills is qualifying the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) 2019 and testing the Alliance's follow-on forces.Norway is learning how to host these reinforcing Allied troops.
The importance of the Bundeswehr to NATO is being emphasised at the exercise.A brigade of German troops initiated TJ 18,and Germany is leading the VJTF 2019 with its 9th Armoured Demonstration Brigade,Munster (tanks).In all,some 8,000 German personnel will field 200 armoured vehicles and 20 Leopard 2 Combat Tanks in the drills.*
The 65 warships in TJ 18 are interacting with the aircraft carrier USS Harry 
S Truman (CVN 75).*
All 29 NATO Allies are involved in the drills,as are partner nations Sweden and Finland,whose airspace is being utilised.The scenario involves a NATO Ally invoking the Article V collective defence clause when an enemy attacks.The VJTF responds first and is then reinforced.NATO's land forces in Norway are being led by Canadian Forces LTGEN Christian Juneau.
NATO is testing its total defence concept at freezing point,conducting collective defence with all-domain warfighting just below the Arctic Circle,while dealing with such conditions as ice,mud,rain and snow.

War on ISIL:Air Campaign Update - plus a Canadian Forces sniper's world record kill

The air war against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant continued on 26 June 2017,according to Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.The OIR coalition conducted 31 strikes consisting of 45 engagements,CJTFOIR said in a  press release.
In Syria,coalition forces conducted 27 strikes consisting of 39 engagements against ISIL targets,among them:
near Dawr Az Zawr,7 strikes engaged 2 ISIL tactical units and destroyed 3 vehicles;a tactical vehicle;2 bunkers;2 pumpjacks;a front-end loader;an IED factory;and an ISIL headquarters,while damaging 2 fighting positions;
near Raqqa,18 strikes engaged 15 ISIL tactical units and destroyed 13 fighting positions;2 vehicles;a VBIED;an IED factory and an ISIL headquarters,damaging 2 fighting positions.*
In Iraq,coalition forces conducted 4 strikes consisting of 6 engagements against ISIL targets,among them:
near Beiji,3 strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a tactical vehicle storage facility;a tactical vehicle;and an ISIL fuel tanker;
near Tikrit,a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit;
on 25 June,near Mosul,3 strikes began that engaged 2 ISIL tactical units and destroyed 14 fighting positions;5 weapons systems;3 medium machine guns;3 rocket-propelled grenade systems;2 mortar systems;a command-and-control node;and suppressed 5 mortar teams.These strikes closed within the past 24 hours,so were added to the 26 June report.*
The OIR strikes are conducted by fighter,attack,bomber,rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft;rocket-propelled artillery;and some ground-based artillery when fired on planned targets.No information on which countries participated in the strikes was provided.*
It is ironic that,with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau removing Canadian Forces from the OIR air campaign in an attempt to distance them from direct combat against ISIL,it was a Canadian Special Operations Forces member of Joint Task Force 2 who has just set the world record for a sniper kill by neutralising an ISIL militant from a distance of 3.54 kilometers,or about 2.2 miles.Congratulations to our loyal northern neighbours,who always find a way to assist,even joining the US Army so they could fight in the Vietnam War alongside Americans.
The sniper used a MacMillan TAC-50 .50 caliber weapon,which is the world's longest shoulder-fired firearm,and a 750-grain Hornady round.Experts point out that his spotter's skill in evaluating the atmospheric conditions all the way to the target was also critical to the success of the mission.
Mr.Trudeau insisted the sniper kill was both praiseworthy and consistent with Canada's advise and assist role in Iraq.Canadian Forces are expected to defend themselves and coalition partners during the course of their mission,he told reporters.

Defending D.C.:NORAD Announces Overnight Exercise

NORAD,the North American Aerospace Defense Command,and its geographical component,CONR,the Continental US NORAD Region,will be holding training flights over the Washington,D.C. area overnight Tuesday into Wednesday from 12 am until 2 am,in support of Operation Noble Eagle,the air defence operation instituted following 9-11.Such exercises are held periodically to hone NORAD's intercept and identification operations and operationally test the National Capital Region Visual Warning System and train Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC) personnel;they also ensure CONR's rapid response capability.Besides the US Air Force,the drills will include the US Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter;Civil Air Patrol aircraft;and the participation of the FAA and the National Capital Region Command Center.The Coast Guard conducts armed helicopter overwatch as part of its counterterrorism mission.*
CONR is based at Tyndall Air Force Base,Florda,and directs both the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) at McChord Air Force Base in Washington state and the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) based in Rome,New York.CONR's principal weapons systems are the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon provided by the 10 Air National Guard fighter wings of First Air Force.CONR's assets also include the US Army 2nd Battalion 263rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington,D.C.,where the JADOC is also located.Typically a number of Canadian Forces personnel are detailed to CONR as well.*
Since 9-11,CONR's fighter aircraft have responded to more than 5,000 possible air threats in the US and flown more than 62,500 sorties supported by Airborne Warning and Control (AWACS) and air to air refueling aircraft.
EADS counters all threats with vigilant detection,rapid warning and precise tactical control of NORAD and NORTHCOM forces,with its vision being to detect and defeat the next air attack on America.*
The highly integrated air defence system of NORAD allows us to identify,track,and if necessary,engage both external and internal aerospace threats,said NORAD and US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) Commander Admiral William Gortney,US Navy.NORAD adds aerospace warning,aerospace control and worldwide maritime warning in the defence of North America.NORAD's Deputy Commander and Commander,Canadian Element is Lieutenant-General Pierre St.-Amand,CMM,CD.

Canadian Troops Suppress ISIL Barrage

Canadian special forces troops had traveled to the front lines in the past week with their Iraqi trainees,in order to visualise the map they had been studying.ISIL militants spotted them and opened up on them with a mortar and machine gun.Invoking their right of self-defence,the Canadians neutralised the enemy position by laying down sniper fire,according to General Michael Rouleau,commander of Canadian Special Operations Force Command.It was the first instance of coalition forces engaging in ground combat operations during Operation Inherent Resolve,the anti-Islamic State effort.General Rouleau described the ISIL militants' attack as being immediate and effective.
The Canadian SOP troops in Iraq number about 70.Their mission is to train,advise and assist Iraqi troops-particularly the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.In addition,they are serving as forward air controllers, targeting ISIL positions with laser markers,collecting intelligence on them and analysing what positions should be bombed.Six Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter aircraft are in Iraq participating in coalition airstrikes on Islamist militant targets,supported by another 600 Canadian troops.Canada is one of the leading contributors to Operation Inherent Resolve.
The SOP troops established Patrol Base Cirillo in a November ceremony.No Canadian soldiers were injured in last week's firefight.The incident points up the way even trainers can become involved in combat,the best intentions of their political leaders notwithstanding.Both Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama have insisted their troops are not on a combat mission.

Air Defense Briefing:1st Air Force Facts

CONR-1AF(AFNORTH),or 1st Air Force,is the NORAD Continental U.S. Region command and the designated air component command for U.S. Northern Command,providing air defense in the form of airspace surveillance and airspace control.It is responsible for the land areas of the continental U.S.,Puerto Rico and surrounding seas out to approximately 500 nautical miles.It also responds to natural disasters and coordinates search and rescue throughout the lower 48 states,Mexico and Canada.The command emblem features both a bald eagle and a maple leaf.
Nearly 2300 active duty U.S. Air Force,Air National Guard,Air Force Reservists,civilians and contractors support the missions of CONR-1AF(AFNORTH),operating more than 180 aircraft,including F-15s,F-16s and F-22s.The command is based at Tyndall Air Force Base,Florida.It is divided into two air defense sectors:EADS in Rome,New York;and WADS in McChord AFB,Washington state.
1st Air Force works closely with Canadian Forces.Canadian personnel serve at HQ in Tyndall AFB,Florida,as well as at the two regional air defense sectors in New York and Washington states.By the same token,U.S. personnel serve at 1AF Detachment 1,Winnipeg,Manitoba;and at 722nd Air Defense Squadron,North Bay,Ontario in Canada.
The personnel of 1st Air Force include many veterans of Kosovo,Iraq and Afghanistan.Most of them are Air National Guard members,proudly and ably executing all phases of Operation Noble Eagle,the air sovereignty mission of NORAD Continental U.S. Region.
NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command,a binational U.S.-Canadian military organisation that secures the continental airspace.

Insitu's Vital Flying Eyes

The little unmanned aircraft of Insitu,Inc.,a Boeing subsidiary,have played a vital role in the Iraq and Afghan wars since 2004 and 2005 respectively.The ScanEagle is designed for day missions at the division and regimental level;the NightEagle is for night missions;the Integrator is for rapid,robust payload integration.
These aircraft have propellers on the back,rather than the front,and require no runway for launch or recovery.They are suited for both land and shipboard basing.
Insitu aircraft provide superior tactical intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance,the company claims.With over 340,000 hours of combat flight in austere areas,and 41,500 sorties,they are at the apex of experience and reliability in mission execution.
Contractor personnel have operated these company-owned systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,as well as the Canadian Forces.Founded in 1994,Insitu is headquartered in Bingen,Washington.
Boeing(BA)

Navy Watches Pirates

Six U.S. Navy warships have surrounded the Ukrainian freighter MV Faina,which has been commandeered by pirates off the coast of Somalia.Among the warships is the USS Howard(DDG83),an Arleigh Burke class destroyer.The warships have been sending helicopters to observe the pirates,who are holding 20 hostages,including Ukrainians,Latvians and Russians.Another hostage appears to have taken ill and died.There are 33 tanks,as well as other weapons and ammunition,aboard the freighter,which the Navy is concerned will aid militants in the region.The pirates are believed to be armed with automatic weapons,anti-tank weapons and grenades.They say that no one can tell them what to do,and that they are prepared to die if need be.There have been about 30 pirate attacks in the area this year.The Navy leads patrols along the 1880 mile Somali coast-or about 3025 kilometers.The Canadian navy also patrols off Somalia.Somalia has the longest coast in Africa,and is near key shipping lanes.A Russian frigate should arrive on scene within days.

Border Region Flares Up

According to the government of Helmand Province,Afghanistan,there has been a spike in mortar fire from Islamic militants in Pakistan.NATO troops have returned fire,resulting in more than 400 militants being killed since late April.Admiral Mike Mullen,Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,says the Pakistani frontier is a safe haven that's got to be eliminated.U.S. commanders in Afghanistan want 1,000 more Mine Resistant Armor Protected Vehicles and 10,000 more troops.There are 36,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan now.British,Canadian and Dutch troops have also seen combat.More than 400 American soldiers and more than 80 Canadian soldiers have been killed in the war.U.S. outposts are being set up near the Pakistani border to counter the flow of militants.Afghan troops serve alongside the NATO forces.