United States, allies conduct Arctic training to protect North America

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) will conduct ARCTIC EDGE 2026 (AE26), a joint, multi-domain Field Training Exercise, across locations in Alaska and Greenland from February 23 to March 13, 2026.

All activities in Greenland will be conducted in coordination with the Kingdom of Denmark. Key municipalities near the exercise areas include Anchorage, Kodiak, Fairbanks, and Kotzebue in Alaska, as well as Kangerlussuaq and Nuuk in Greenland.

The exercise will involve forces from Air Forces Northern, Army North, Naval Forces Northern, Marine Forces Northern, Special Operations Command North, Alaskan NORAD Region, Canadian NORAD Region, Alaska Command, and the Continental US NORAD Region. AE26 will also include participation from Denmark, Canada, the Alaska National Guard, and interagency partners including the FBI, US Coast Guard, NOAA, FAA, Alaska Department of Homeland Security, Alaska state and local law enforcement, and Alaska Native communities.

AE26 is designed to enhance readiness, demonstrate capabilities, and strengthen interoperability among multinational, interagency, and Joint Force partners in the Arctic. Key objectives include integrating all-domain command-and-control relationships to support Homeland Defence missions in the Arctic region. These objectives encompass:

Cruise missile defence, coordination with state and interagency partners to protect non-Department of Defence critical infrastructure, including power grids and oil refineries, in Alaska, counter-small unmanned aerial systems capabilities and synchronization of base defence responsibilities, joint and service-level experimentation and technology demonstration in Arctic conditions, Arctic survival and mobility training in Greenland.

“ARCTIC EDGE 2026 is an annual exercise designed to demonstrate that engaged forces are postured and ready to secure North America in an increasingly complex Arctic security environment,” the statement said.

By Vafa Guliyeva