NATO Member Canada's Foreign Minister Unveils Arctic Foreign Policy - plus Minister of National Defence Weighs In

According to Global Affairs Canada,the Arctic is experiencing major changes.The shifting geopolitical landscape,evolving security threats and accelerating climate change are impacting the Arctic in unique ways and highlight the need for strong Canadian leadership to respond to the changing reality in the region.That is why the Honourabla Melanie Joly,PC MP,Minister of Foreign Affairs,on O6 DEC 2024 announced the launch of Canada's Arctic Foreign Policy (AFP).The AFP is the culmination of months of extensive engagement with territorial and provincial governments and Inuit,First Nations and Metis.The AFP was also informed by consultations with the Kingdom of Denmark;Finland;Iceland;Norway;Sweden;and the United States,Canada's like-minded Arctic Partners.The AFP is also a comprehensive diplomatic strategy for Canada's engagement in and on the Arctic.It provides expanded presence and partnerships to address current needs and the flexibility to adapt to future challenges.This approach complements the 2019 Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF),and it will allow Canada to continue to safeguard its sovereignty,advance national interests and promote a stable,prosperous and secure Arctic based on a shared vision of the region's future.The AFP is comprised of four foreign policy pillars:asserting Canada's sovereignty;advancing Canada's interests through pragmatic diplomacy;leadership on Arctic governance and multilateral challenges;and adopting a more inclusive approach to Arctic diplomacy.Said Foreign Minsiter Joly:We are in a tough world.Competiton is growing across the globe,and the Arctic is not immune.Many countries,including non-Arctic states,aspire for a greater role in Arctic affairs.The evolving security and evolving security and political realities in the region mean we need a new approach to advance our national interests...Canada will open new consulates in Alaska and Greenland,appoint an Arctic ambassador (an Indigenous person),and continue its boundary negotiations with the United States over the Beaufort Sea.The 37 page document also warns of Russian activity in the Arctic,including modernisation of its Arctic infrastructure and military capabilities.The Canadian Forces station in Alert,Ellesmere Island,is closer to Russia's air force base at Nagurskoye,Russia than Iqaluit (capital of Nunavut Territory) is to Ottawa,or Toronto is to Winnipeg.*Said Foreign Minister Joly:It is clear that Russia has no red lines.The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region.*According to the Honourable William Sterling Blair,PC,COM,MP,Minister of National Defence,in the document Our North,Strong and Free:Here at home,Canadians are depending more on the Canadian Armed Forces-our Regular and Reserved Forces and our Canadian Rangers...We are seeing greater Russian activity in our air approaches,and a growing number of Chinese vessels and surveillance platforms are mapping and collecting data about the region.Meanwhile,states are rapidly building up their military capabilities that impact our security in the Arctic-including submarines,long-range aircraft and hypersonic missiles that move faster and are harder to detect.As the Arctic becomes more accessible to foreign actors,we need to ensure our military has the tools to assert our sovereignty and protect Canada's interests.*At the same time,Canada's interests do not stop at our border.Russia's illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine is an attack on the system of international rules and institutions that enable thr security and prosperity of Canada and Canadians;we must remain steadfast in our support of Ukraine.Furthermore,an increasingly assertive China challenges the international order in the Indo-Pacific.Canada must maintain a reliable,persistent military presence to uphold the global rules that underpin our prosperity and sovereignty.*Today we are confronted with a complex,generational challenge.The world is at an inflection point.Democracy,free trade and the rules and values that underpin them are increasingly being challenged by authoritarian states.In parallel,the character of conflict is changing as technonology evolves rapidly.Ultimately,our closest values of democracy,freedom,peace and fairness-which Canadians have fought and died to defend-are being challenged...In 2017,we released Strong,Secure,Engaged-Canada's defence policy,to ensure long-term,predictable,stable funding to National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).Seven years on,Canada's defence strategy remains in an upward trajectory,consistent with our commitment to meet NATO's Defence Investment Pladge.We are aqcuiring new fighter jets (Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs) and Maritime Patrol Aircraft,and new built-in Canada Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels have been delivered to Canadian Sailors.In 2022,we invested 38.6 billion to modernise our contribution to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).*NORAD is the only bi-national military command in the world,ensuring areospace warning and control and maritime warning for the United States and Canada.*Lockheed Martin (LMT)

NATO's High North:U.S. Arctic Strategy 2024 - Part 1

According to a prefatory Memorandum by U.S. Secretary of Defense General Lloyd F. Austin III,U.S. Army ret.:The United States is an Arctic nation,and the region is critical to the defense of our Homeland,the protection of U.S. national sovereignty,and our defense treaty commitments...Major geopolitical changes are driving the need for this new strategic approach to the Arctic,including Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine,the accession of Finland and Sweden into the NATO Alliance,increasing collaboration between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia,and the accelerating impact of climate change.This increasingly accessible region is becoming a venue for strategic competition,and the United States must stand ready to meet the challenge alongside Allies and Partners.This new DOD strategy directs the Department to enhance its Arctic capabilities,deepen engagement with Allies and Partners,and exercise our forces to build readiness for operations at high latititudes...This strategy represents prudent and measured efforts to protetct U.S. interests in the face of new challenges and an evolving security environment.*In the body of U.S. Arctic Strategy 2024,it notes:The National Defense Strategy (2022) directs that activities in the Arctic will be calibrated to reflect a "monitor-and-respond" approach that is underpinned by robust intelligence collection capabilities,security cooperation with our regional Allies and Partners,and the deterrent value of the DOD'S ability to deploy the Joint Force at the time and place of our choosing...This strategy will strengthen the ability of the United States to build integrated deterrence and effectively manage risk to U.S. interests in the Arctic Region by enhancing our domain awareness and Arctic capabilities;engaging with Allies,Partners and key stakeholders;and exercising tailored presence...The North American Arctic Region comprises the northern approaches to the homeland and includes sovereign U.S. territiory in Alaska-home to significant U.S. defense infrastructure (Eielson Air Force Base;Fort Greely;Fort Wainwright;Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson;Clear Space Force Station),and the sovereign territory of NATO Allies including Canada and the Kingdom of Denmark's autonomous territory of Greenland.Vital for homeland defense,the North American Arctic Region hosts aerospace warning,aerospace control and maritime warning capabilities for the binational U.S.-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).The North American Arctic Region is also integrated to the execution of Indo-Pacific operations,as the Northern Flank for projecting force from the U.S. homeland to that region.*Geographically,the European Arctic Region comprises the Arctic territory of NATO Allies Finland,Iceland,Norway and Sweden,as well as Russia's Kola Penninsula.Collaboration in this region between Unified Combatant Commands (CCMDs-U.S. European Command,U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command) and Arctic Allies is critical to the collective defense of NATO Allies and to U.S. homeland defense.The accession of new NATO Allies and the strengthening of the NATO Alliance opens strategic opportunities and supports critical objectives in the National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR 2022).The Arctic serves as an avenue for power projection between North America and Europe.The Arctic includes multiple strategically significant maritime chokepoints.Reduction in sea ice due to climate change means chokepoints such as the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia (you can see Russia from Alaska) and Russia and the Barents Sea north of Norway,are becoming more navigable and more economically and miltarily significant.

Pacific Perspective:New NORTHCOM Commander Focused on Defending Alaska

GEN Gregory Guillot,USAF,new Commander of U.S. Northern Command/NORAD,wants to secure Alaska's coasts from Russian and Chinese incursions.Speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee,GEN Guillot said:The best way for us to counter them is to have presence of our own,so the execution of exercises and patrols is extremely important off all our coasts,primarily focusing right now on the region of Alaska.And the same applies on what we call the "two o'clock approach" of on the Northeast,making sure we have a presence there...strong exercise program,multinantional,a lot of Partners,showing that we have the resolve to defend that most strategic area.*Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee,GEN Guillot noted that:Fortunately,we haven't seen Chinese aircraft near our...Air Defence Indentification Zone (ADIZ) yet,but I think that's coming as early as this year.That shows our overall concern I have about the growing capability of China not only with aircraft;but also with ships and even submarines being able to range further from China and closer to our shores.China is conducting regional activities of a technical or scientific research,but we think it's certainly multimission to include military operations.And then I expect to see air activity in the Alaska part of the Arctic as soon as this year potentially.It's a very big concern of mine.Just last week,for the first time in over two years,down along that avenue we call the GIUK Gap-Greenland,Iceland and the UK-approaching the Commander and US ADIZs,we were able to track two TU-142 Russian Bear bombers the entire time thanks to the radar network and the information sharing between countries within EUCOM (U.S. European Command)-Norway is one I'll point out-and Northern Command.We didn't have to intercept them because we had aircraft flying to the point where we would intercept them before they crossed the Identification Zone.So we had aircraft,both Canadian and US fighters,posted along the line,which I think is probably disheartening for the Russians to fly all that way to find out that we're waiting for them...I view hypersonic as perhaps the most destabilising threat that we have out there because of the speed and the unpredictability on where it will impact-as opposed to a ballistic missile,which is fairly predictable...We do appreciate that the Coast Guard is procuring new icebreakers,but even with these we'll be severely outnumbered.And that does limit our freedom of manoeuvre in the region...Upon taking command,I began a 90-day assessment to inform the Department (of the Air Force),the Joint Force and Congress on NORAD and NORTHCOM's ability to execute assigned tasks,and make recommendations on where the Command could or should do more.Once complete,I look forward to sharing my findings and updated vision for how NORAD and NORTHCOM will best execute the noble mission of national defence.*USNORTHCOM conducts homeland defence,civil support,and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.NORAD conducts aerospace warning,aerospace control and maritime warning in the defence of North America.*NORTHCOM leadership:GEN Guillot received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy.He also holds a degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the National War College.He has commanded a flying squadron;operations group;two Flying Wings;and a Numbered Air Force,including the 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron;380th Expeditionary Operations Group;562nd Air Control Wing;55th Wing;and Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central).He has served on Numbered Air Force,major command,Headquarters Air Force,and command staffs;and was an Air Force Weapons School instructor.As a General Officer,his previous assignments include Director of Strategic Plans,Requirements and Programs;Headquarters Pacific Air Forces;Deputy Commander U.S. Air Forces CENTCOM;Director of Operations,Headquarters U.S. Northern Command;Commander,Ninth Air Force;Combined Force Air Component Commander,USCENTCOM;and Deputy Commander,USCENTCOM.His personal awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal;Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster;Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters;Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster;Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters;Meritorius Service Medal with silver and bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.The GEN is a senior air battle manager with more than 1380 flying hours in E-3B/C/G Sentry AWACS and RC-135 V/W/S Rivet Joint aircraft.*GEN Guilldot assumed command of USNORTHCOM/NORAD on 5 February 2024.USNORTHCOM has few permanently assigned forces.The Command is assigned forces whenever necessary to execute missions,as ordered by the President or Secretary of Defense.For example,a U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter was recently sent on patrol to monitor a flotilla of Russian and Chinese warships.Civil Service employees and uniformed service members representing all service branches work at NORTHCOM's Headquarters at Peterson Space Force Base,Colorado.The Deputy Commander of USNORTHCOM and Vice-Commander,U.S. Element NORAD,is LTGEN A.C. Roper,U.S. Army.

Bulletin:Mysterious balloon intercepted over Utah - ABC News - NORAD fighters scrambled to intercept it.

with David Muir

National Security Crisis:New Details About Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)

Rear Admiral John Kirby,US Navy retired,Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House,held a briefing on 13 February 2023 for the press corps at the White House.China has had a long-standing programme of balloon surveillance.These balloons have provided a limited additive capability to the People's Liberation Army.We are finally trying to understand such Unidentified Aerial Phenomena better.We have been more closely scrutinising slow-moving,high altitude objects that are hard to detect.In each instance,we have followed the same basic course.Those objects whose altitude posed a threat to civilian aircraft were shot down immediately.There are no active tracks today.We are working with our Allies on tracking UAP.Interagency teams have been formed to deal with the UAP issue within the US Government.The fourth object, which came down in Lake Huron,came down in the Canadian part of Lake Huron and we had good communications with our Canadian Allies.It had been shot down by Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcons.* In general,with a balloon,as opposed to a spy satellite,you could get better fidelity photos;you can loiter and soak in a little bit more information.NORAD and NORTHCOM commander General Glen Van Herck is using established protocols.The AIM-9X Sidewinder missile is the safest,most effective way to bring objects down,in his judgement.A fighter jet's cannon could threaten civilian aircraft.Some of the Chinese spy balloon's electronics have already been recovered,along with some of its structure.Why were the three weekend objects shot down?They were unmanned,not being controlled,posing a threat to civilian aircraft,and could have surveillance capabilities with which to threaten national security.* The US Coast Guard is assisting the Canadian Coast Guard at Lake Huron.It is believed the wreckage of this fourth object is in deep water.The object had an octagonal shape with strings attached to the bottom.There is no reason for the American people to worry about extraterrestrial craft.There is no indication of such a thing.The basic parameters of the objects have been seen before.Some of them could be small rigid-sided dirigibles,pointed out former FAA official Mary Schiavo.It's nothing new.* The US has been aware of China's balloon programme since 2021.We're seeing more objects because we're looking more.We have modified the radar filters to scrutinise low speed,high altitude objects.* CNN has reported that the Beaufort Sea,Alaska object and the Yukon Territory object had small metal cylinders attached to them (possibly surveillance payloads).The Beaufort Sea object was metallic and broke into pieces when it hit the sea ice.The Yukon object was a small metallic balloon with a payload that had traveled over sensitive US sites.The Lake Huron object descended slowly into the water when it was shot down.* Update:The US Navy and Coast Guard have almost finished recovering the Chinese spy balloon off South Carolina.They will now move out further from the coast to finish up.

National Security Crisis:Three Unidentified Objects Downed by NORAD Over Weekend

The national security crisis facing North America and its NATO members,the United States and Canada,that began with the Chinese surveillance balloon continued unabated over the weekend,resulting in a total of four downings by NORAD over an eight-day period.This post will cover the recovery of the Chinese balloon and the second downing.The recovery of the Chinese surveillance balloon,the first object,has been hindered by rough weather,but it is known that the balloon's surveillance package is intact,meaning a windfall for the Intelligence Community once it can be retrieved from the 46 ft. of water it lies beneath off South Carolina.The US Coast Guard is providing security for the recovery operation by US Navy divers,chasing journalists away.The wreckage is being flown to the FBI lab on the Quantico Marine Corps Base,Virginia for analysis.* The second downing,of a car-sized object,took place over the Beaufort Sea near Deadhorse,Alaska.The Beaufort Sea is frozen over,so it means recovery of the object from a solid surface.F-35A Lightning II fighters were sent up from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson,Alaska to examone the craft.One of the F-35 pilots said the object was interfering with the fighter's sensors.If so,a record of that could be retrieved from the warplane's electronics.Another F-35 pilot said the craft showed no discernible means of propulsion. An F-22 Raptor fighter jet shot the object down at 40,000 ft. with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.Responding to the wreckage was an AK-66 Pavehawk helicopter,perhaps with the Air Force Special Operations Forces who customarily fly it.An HC-130 Hercules aircraft also responded to the scene.It is able to land on ice,being equipped with retractable skis.Harsh wintry conditions of -21F in the recovery zone have slowed the recovery process down.* Two other downings occurred on Saturday over Canada's Yukon Territory,and on Sunday over Northern Lake Huron,Michigan.*

Operation NOBLE DEFENDER:Defending North America's Approaches - intercepting cruise missiles

From 12-14 September 2022,Operation NOBLE DEFENDER (OND) was executed by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Alaska and the Northwest Territories.Mainly carried out over sparsely populated Arctic and Pacific areas at high altitude,there was little chance of the public noticing the drills.Areas traversed include Inuvik,Yellowknife,St.Lawrence Island,King Salmon,Ketchikan and west of Vancouver.OND was intended to validate NORAD'S ability to defend Canada and the US from every avenue of approach,demonstrating the capability to integrate with defence and security partners for a holistic,360-degree defence of the continent.* OND,a recurring series of drills,tested the ability to rapidly deploy military assets and carry out tactics,techniques and procedures in the designated areas.It demonstrated NORAD'S ability to quickly deter,defend and,if necessary,defeat adversaries of North America such as Russia,China and North Korea.Defensive manoeuvres were practised along the Northern and Western approaches to North America by all three NORAD Regions:Alaska NORAD Region (ANR);Canadian NORAD Region (CANR);and Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR).OND drew on military personnel and equipment support from Portland,Oregon;Cold Lake,Alberta;Colorado Springs,Colorado;Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base,Alaska.* On 14 September,US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighters from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142d Wing took off from Portland ANG Base.There the operation exhibited the ability to launch at short notice from dispersed air and maritime locations to defend Northern approaches in multiple regions across all domains,displaying resiliance in the face of multiple and complex threats.During the drills,CONR also coordinated and conducted joint operations with the US Navy while concurrently launching jets from various locations across the US Gulf Coast and Puerto Rico.This phase of OND featured manoeuvres for defending the Southern approach to the US from simulated cruise missile threats.F-15C Eagles took off from Muniz ANG Base in Carolina,Puerto Rico.The OND addressed both current and evolving threats to North American defence and security.* An F-15E Strike Eagle can actually launch a cruise missile,the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER),from a center pylon.This type of launch was simulated over the highly strategic Baltic Sea Region in 2021.* To shoot down a cruise missile,you have to know the missile's course and speed so you can intercept and destroy it.A heat-seeking anti-aircraft missile can destroy a cruise missile.So can an aircraft's cannon.As long as an aircraft has look-down-shoot-down capability,it can destroy a cruise missile,but it is very difficult to execute such a mission against the terrain-following,low-IR emission cruise missiles.

Heading for the Hills:Homeland Defence Forces Take Special Precautions

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the Pentagon's homeland defence forces have gone to the highest level of health protection in order to safeguard personnel capable of deterring and responding to adversarial threats,as well as to the pandemic at hand.These troops include those of US NORTHCOM and NORAD.
NORTHCOM and NORAD Commander GEN Terrence O'Shaughnessy, US Air Force,told a Facebook Live town hall with his personnel:
To ensure that we can defend the homeland despite the pandemic, our command and watch teams here in the headquarters have been split into multiple shifts, and portions of our watch team began working from Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, creating a third team at an alternate location as well.
Our dedicated professionals of the NORAD and NORTHCOM command and control watch have left their homes, said goodbye to their families and are isolated from everyone to ensure that they can stand watch each and every day to defend our homeland.It's certainly not optimal, but it's absolutely necessary and appropriate given the situation.
This is a marathon, not a sprint.
My primary concern was...Are we going to have space inside the mountain for everybody who wants to move in there, and I'm not at liberty to discuss who's moving in there.*
Other sites national security personnel may be relocating to include the Raven Rock Mountain Complex (Site R) in Southcentral Pennsylvania and Mount Weather, Virginia.Both impressive bunkers are hidden in the Appalachian​ Mountains.Another possibility for isolation may be found at Camp Peary,officially called the Armed Forces Experimental Training Activity,a US Navy holding in York County, Virginia that serves as a training base for the CIA and the DIA.The highly classified 9,000 acre compound includes a 1500 m/ 5,000 foot runway that has been used by CIA aircraft.*
Other military personnel known to be isolating include B-52H Stratofortress bomber crews; ballistic missile submarine crews; ICBM personnel; and certain Special Operations Forces units.*
NORAD and US NORTHCOM normally operate out of Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado."

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.

NORAD Postpones Exercise

NORAD tweeted that Exercise Falco-Virgo was postponed until 16 January 2020 because of bad weather.All other details will be the same.That means the drills,which are a part of Operation Noble Eagle,the beefed-up air defence since 9-11,will take place tonight from 12:30 am-2:30 am.

Falco-Virgo:NORAD Exercise Includes C-12 Huron

NORAD has announced that an air defence exercise is to occur between 12:30 am and 2:30 am Wednesday morning in the skies of the Washington,D.C. area.Aircraft utilised will include F-16 Fighting Falcons;a C-12 Huron;an MH-65D Dolphin helicopter,which is used by the US Coast Guard to provide overwatch of the D.C. area;and a Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182T.
Portions of the drill could be visible from the ground,with low level flights at around 2500 feet.If the weather is bad,the exercise will take place the following day.*
The C-12 Huron,manufactured by Raytheon Aircraft Corporation in the US,is based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and the Beechcraft 1900.Its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engines give it a top speed of 333 mph and a range of 2074 miles.Utilised by all four of the Department of Defense armed forces,the Huron's principal missions are focused on the tactical movement of cargo and passengers between military bases;embassy support;medevac;VIP transport;and light cargo transport.Equipped with Rockwell Collins avionics,it is regarded as the primary operations support aircraft,with a cargo capacity of 5,000 pounds.The C-12 has a maximum crew of two (pilot and co-pilot) and can carry up to 13 passengers.*
Raytheon Corp (RTN)

NORAD News:Russian Bombers and Fighters Make Show of Force Near Alaska

According to a press release,on 20 May 2019,NORAD responded to multiple challenges presented by Russian military aircraft.Initially,two Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers were intercepted in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by two US Air Force F-22 Raptor fifth generation fighter jets.Oddly,Russia then sent a second wave of aircraft,two more Tu-95s,plus two Su-35 fighter jets as well,into the ADIZ.These were met by two more F-22s,plus an E-3 Sentry AWACS for overall surveillance of the incident.
All the Russian aircraft remained in international air space.
According to NORAD Commander GEN Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy,US Air Force:
NORAD's top priority is defending Canada and the U.S.Our ability to deter and defeat threats to our citizens,vital infrastructure,and national institutions starts with successfully detecting,tracking,and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace.*
NORAD explains that it:
employs a layered defense network of radars,satellites,and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response.*
On 26 January 2019,NORAD had deployed an E-3 Sentry AWACS;two F-22 fighters;and two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighters to intercept two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers when the Blackjacks entered the Canadian Air Defence Indentification Zone.

Russian Bombers Draw Intense NORAD Response

At 1240 hours Eastern,a tweet from NORAD/USNORTHCOM stated that two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entered the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone on 26 January 2019.The bombers remained in international airspace and did not enter sovereign territory.What was extraordinary was that five NORAD aircraft were launched to identify and intercept the Blackjacks, when normally it would just be a few fighter jets.*
This time,it was a full-on response with an E-3 AWACS,two US Air Force F-22 Raptors and two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets.It may have to do with Canada's recent expansion of it's AIDZ to include the  Canadian Arctic in light of Russia's increased activity in the region.Then too,it may also have to do with the current tension over Venezuela between Russia and the West.

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.

President Trump Re-establishes US Space Command - no Space Force for now

President Donald Trump has signed a one page memorandum authorising the Pentagon to re-establish the US Space Command,which had existed from 1985-2002.It will be the eleventh combatant command,headed by a four star flag officer and a deputy.
Combatant commands are leadership nodes comprised of personnel from all the services working together in a joint manner to advance a common mission set.They are not separate armed forces.Among the existing combatant commands are US Strategic Command,;US European Command;US Special Operations Command,etc.The original US Space Command was abolished in the wake of the 9-11 attacks so that US Northern Command (including NORAD) could be established to protect the continental homeland.Its elements were absorbed by US Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command.
The complex new organisation will have a staff of about 1600 personnel:600 of them from existing space organisations,and 1,000 of them new hires.It is estimated it will cost about 800 million dollars to set it up over a period of years.The first step will come next year with the nomination of a flag officer for commander,plus a deputy commander,for approval by the US Senate.*
President Trump considers this a move in the direction of creating a new armed service,the US Space Force.It's widely believed,however,that it isn't possible to create the force in the immediate future,while the US faces immediate challenges in space from Russia and China.*
Vice President Mike Pence made the announcement while visiting NASA Kennedy Space Center and the US Air Force 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida.He explained that:
The US Space Command will integrate space capabilities across all branches of the military.It will develop the space doctrine,tactics,techniques and procedures that will enable our warfighters to defend our nation in this new era.*
The Pentagon says that the renewed US Space Command is a critical step in accelerating our space capabilities and posture to defend our vital national interests and deter our adversaries.This combatant command will lead space operations and develop space warfighting doctrine,tactics and procedures.

Strategic Challenges:Arctic Defence Symposium Attended by Military,Academic,Intelligence Community Leaders

A wide range of leaders with an interest and expertise in the emerging Arctic gathered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage,Alaska for the Arctic Maritime Symposium 2018.The symposium is a framework for experienced senior military leaders,intelligence analysts,interagency operators and Arctic maritime subject matter experts to discuss the strategic challenges associated with Arctic maritime operations.
The AMS was held from 14-16 August 2018 and hosted by LTGEN Kenneth Wilsback,US Air Force,commander,Alaska Command.The keynote speakers were ADM Sam J. Locklear,US Navy (Retired),former commander,US Pacific Command and Heather A. Conley,senior vice president for Europe,Eurasia and the Arctic,Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington,D.C.Expert support was provided by the Center for Naval Analysis;the US Naval War College;the National War College;Montclair University;and the Office of Naval Intelligence(ONI).Also represented were the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the US Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center (ICC).
The International Panel included Cmdre Jamie Clark,Royal Canadian Navy,Deputy Director NORAD&USNORTHCOM J5;CDR Jens Peter Holst-Andersen,Vice Chair/Commander,Danish Ministry of Defence;and CDR Julia Tortell,Deputy Commandant,Finnish Naval Academy.*
Attending AMS from the US Navy was RDML Cedric Pringle,commander,Expeditionary Strike Group-3.*
The Symposium was informed by the following advice and authorities:
1.Maritime Homeland Defense EXORD:
Provide an environment of uncertainty  for anyone planning or attempting an attack on the United States.
2.(U) 2009 National Security Presidential Directive 66:
the United States must be prepared to safeguard its National Security Interests in the Arctic.
3.(U) 2016 DOD Arctic Strategy:
need for increased maritime surface and subsurface presence,surveillance and capabilities.*
Addressing AMS was the new NORAD and USNORTHCOM commander,GEN Terrence O'Shaughnessy,US Air Force:
Changes in the Arctic environment could give our adversaries the impression that the Arctic offers a soft underbelly in our ability to defend the homeland.The defence of the homeland requires us to reinvigorate our efforts to ensure we remain ready to operate in and through the Arctic.Secretary (of Defense) Mattis recently said that America has got to up its game in the Arctic.
Russia most notably has aggressively built Arctic military capability,securing planes and expanding access along the Northern Sea Route.We must keep in mind that,for the Russians,the Arctic is their front yard and their back yard.
Given the Arctic's unique challenges,coupled with increased accessability,it is vital that we have the capability to respond in and through the Arctic,GEN O'Shaughnessy pointed out.*
Also representing the US Navy at AMS was the guided missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92),which moored at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage.A US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet executed a flyby over the Momsen.

Air Defence Puzzle:Complex Exercise Challenges NORAD,US STRATCOM

NORAD,the North American Aerospace and Defense Command,along with its close partner and fellow combatant command US Strategic Command,conducted a day of joint,comprehensive intercept and safe passage exercises in all three of the NORAD regions with a broad range of warplanes on 1 August 2016,the command revealed in a press release.The carefully planned and controlled drills ensured NORAD's rapid response capability.Normally,only one intercept at a time is conducted with only one type of interceptor and bomber involved.This test injected more layers of complexity by varying types of aircraft,commands involved,location and nationality.The scenario was a more realistic simulation of what an actual attack by a sophisticated enemy would be like.*
In these exercises,US Strategic Command B-52H Stratofortess and B-2 Spirit bombers conducted flights through each of the NORAD regions that were intercepted by three types of fighter aircraft:
2 F-22 Raptors in the Alaska NORAD Region,based at Elmendorf Air Force Base,Alaska;
2 CF-18 Hornets in the Canadian NORAD Region,based at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg,Manitoba;and
2 F-15 Eagles in the Continental United States NORAD Region,based at Tyndall Air Foce Base,Florida.*
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter noted that the bomber flights provided NORAD with an excellent opportunity to hone our air defence capabilities,while also allowing us the opportunity to closely coordinate operations with our allies and the geographic combatant commands.*
Our ability to conduct intercept and safe passage escort procedures to coincide with American flights reinforces Canada's outstanding collaboration and interoperability with our closest ally.Canada and the US continue to expand on our close partnership,added Canada's Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan.*
The intercepts honed Operation Noble Eagle's procedures,cross-border interoperability and coordination,and to reinforce the enduring defence relationship between the US and Canada.
NORAD is the binational Canada-US command that provides aerospace warning,aerospace control and maritime warning for Canada and the US,NORAD explained.*
Operation Noble Eagle has guided the joint Canadian-US defence of North American airspace since the 9-11 attacks on the US by al-Qaida.

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.

Confronting Chaos:Army Signal Corps Unit Prides Itself on Sensitive Mission

In 1944,the US Army established the 3364th Signal Service Battalion to be part of the worldwide support structure for garrison and field forces during World War II.It served ably in this capacity until 1946,receiving the Meritorious Unit Commendation streamer (American Theater).It was deactivated in 1946,but served again from 1959-68,redesignated as the 114th Signal Brigade and an Army Reserve Unit.Yet another life began in 2003,when it was reactivated as a unit of the 21st Signal Brigade and assigned the 50-year-old sensitive mission of the 1111th Signal Battalion,which was deactivated at that time.The 114th received for the first time its own distinctive unit colours,insignia and coat of arms.The coat of arms features an erect black stallion under a lighting bolt chevron,with the inscription "Signal Masters of the Rock" above and beneath the stallion.*
The current commander of the 114th,Lieutenant Colonel Jason M. Winterle,is familiar with sensitive missions,having served in Military Intelligence battalions in the Republic of Korea and at Fort Lewis,Washington state,which is now Joint Base Lewis-McChord.The mission of his present unit,the 114th Signal Battalion,based at Fort Detrick,Maryland,is to provide and defend Network Operations for theater-based communication systems,networks,and enterprise services and Visual Information services enabling Command and Control in Department of Defense and National Military Command Center (Raven Rock Mountain Complex) during full spectrum operations.*
The Raven Rock Mountain Complex-Site R,is also known as "the Underground Pentagon,""the Rock" and "a nuclear bunker."Indeed,it is buried inside the super-hard granite of Raven Rock Mountain,one of the three great blast-hardened bunkers of the US Government,the others being the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center,Virginia,and the US Air Force's Cheyenne Mountain Complex,Colorado (NORAD).All three were born of the Cold War fear of a nuclear apocalypse.*
Raven Rock,designated as both the Alternate Joint Communication Center and Alternate National Military Command Center (War Room),continues serving to this day as the Pentagon's nerve center in times of chaos or total war.Apart from the Joint Staff facility,the Army,Navy and Air Force each maintain an emergency center there.In a time of crisis,reportedly at least 2,000 troops and civilians could be housed in the self-contained,six-storey bunker for an extended period,its storerooms stocked to the hilt with MRE rations if fresh food runs out.Above each of the aboveground entrance portals that lead to the two-blast hardened doors,one for pedestrians and one for vehicles,are two weapons portals from which to repulse ground assaults.*
Topping the mountain is Site RT,which is an antenna farm with both microwave and satellite communication antennas,plus the buildings staffed by the 114th Signal Brigade.Also aboveground are a security center;fire station;entrance gates;helipad and wastewater treatment plant.*
Within the bunker are reportedly at least five three-storey buildings which house living quarters;two power plants;a Presidential Suite;a health clinic;chapel;mess hall and barber shop,along with a bowling alley and fitness center.There is even a small shop selling tee shirts,among other goods.A tunnel leads from the bunker to Camp David,the presidential retreat in nearby Maryland,and there are resevoirs for both industrial and domestic water.That being said,judging from photos spirited out of these sites,the overall ambience of such bunkers is professional,spartan and even gloomy in the spaces outside the buildings.After all,it is a doomsday bunker.All the more reason to admire the military men and women,as well as the steadfast civil servants,who are more than able and willing to serve there.*
Most famously,former Vice President Dick Cheney took refuge at Raven Rock following the 9-11 attacks,to keep him separate from President George W. Bush,so they wouldn't both have been be killed in an attack on Washington.

Threats To North America:US Northcom and NORAD Commander

Admiral William Gortney,US Navy,commander US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command,appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday,12 March,to submit the Command's fiscal 2016 budget request.Included with the request was an assessment of current and future threats to the continent.ADM Gortney said what is most concerning to him is the seams that exist between Northcom,Southern Command and Pacific Command;between US interagency partners and the combatant commands;between the US and partner nations;and seams within those nations.In these seams,people are moving drugs and money.They're moving products for profit through the seams.We need to close these seams,because if someone wants to do something that will cause great damage to the nation,that is where they will come.*
2.Homegrown violent extremists are using an effective and sophisticated social media campaign to stir up distrust and incite harm to American citizens.*
3.A cyber attack could directly affect critical infrastructure that I rely on to defend the nation,and that we rely on for our nation to operate.I see that as a significant threat.A cyber attack in Ottawa would take out the Northeast quadrant of our air defence sector.It would effectively be a mission kill.So it would not only affect my abiity to do my mission;more importantly,we as a nation rely on this same infrastructure to operate-whether it's banking,rail,aviation,power or movement of water.All of these things have critical infrastructure that we must have,and they need to be hardened against an adversary.Northcom is responsible for defending known networks and helping lead federal agencies in the aftermath of a cyber attack.
4.Russian heavy bombers flew more out of area patrols in 2014 than in any year since the Cold War.We have also witnessed improved interoperability between Russian long-range aviation and other elements of the Russian military,including air and maritime intelligence collection platforms positioned to monitor NORAD responses.Such patrols serve a training function for Russian air crews,but some are clearly intended to underscore Moscow's global reach and communicate displeasure with Western policies,especially those involving Ukraine.Russia is also progressing toward its gosl of developing long-range,conventionally armed cruise missiles with increasing stand-off launch distances on its heavy bombers,submarines and surface combatants.Should these trends continue,NORAD will face increased risk in our ability to defend North America against Russian air,maritime and cruise missile threats.
5.North Korea has successfully test-detonated three nuclear devices,and through its space program has demonstrated many of the technologies required for an ICBM that could target the continental United States.North Korean military parades have showcased the new KN08 road-mobile ICBM.When deployed,the system will complicate the US ability to provide warning and defend against an attack.
6.Iran has likewise committed considerable resources to enhancing its ballistic missile capabilities,and has already placed another satellite into orbit this year,usinga new booster that could serve as a demonstrator for ICBM technologies.
7.Sequestration poses the likeliest and most dangerous threat.It leads to a hollow force,slowing development of the US technological advantage that makes it possible to outpace future threats.It also affects missile defence,putting on hold the long-range discrimination radar;improvements to the advanced kill vehicle;and the multi-object kill vehicle of the US Ballistic Missile Defense System.It would hinder the United States' ability to outpace the growing proliferation of ballistic missiles.
7.The Arctic requires advocacy and partnerships from within and outside the Northcom area of responsibility as the region grows in importance to our national security over the next few decades.