Security

Russia’s foreign minister warned that NATO’s Operation Arctic Sentry, with intensive military preparations near Russia’s northern borders, could have catastrophic consequences.

A US Air Force C‑17 Globemaster III delivered expeditionary Navy equipment to Trondheim, part of a Norwegian‑led trilateral readiness initiative with the United Kingdom and United States aimed at improving Arctic logistics and rapid deployment capabilities.

Donald Trump’s Greenland plan intends to extend U.S. control over the rest of the Arctic, positioning the United States as a dominant Arctic power.

Carney announced billions in Arctic defense spending, which could transform the region.

NATO launched Arctic Sentry on 11 February, deploying Swedish Gripen jets to patrol Greenlandic airspace while German Eurofighter jets operated overhead.

Canada is weighing canceling its F‑35 jet order as it seeks to replace aging CF‑18s and strengthen Arctic defense and NORAD commitments.

U.S. Air Force C‑130J crews are conducting Arctic operations during Northern Viking 26 in Iceland, testing capabilities with Lockheed‑Martin‑produced Super Hercules aircraft.

NATO is conducting military drills in Iceland to bolster protection of critical Arctic sea routes and undersea infrastructure.

The Canadian federal government is moving ahead with plans to extend the length of a dual‑use airfield at Inuvik above the Arctic Circle as part of its Arctic defence strategy to support increased military and emergency response capabilities in the region.

U.S. Army Green Berets and Alaska National Guard air crews are preparing a RAPIDS infiltration mission to Savoonga, Alaska, to sharpen capabilities that deter, disrupt, degrade, and deny competitor activity in the Arctic.

The 2026 WEPTAC workshop gathered Arctic tacticians and warfighting experts to advance personnel recovery and search and rescue operations in the strategic Arctic region, underscoring the importance of coordinated homeland defense capabilities.

NATO’s top military chief Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone emphasized that the European Arctic is a central focus for Atlantic Alliance security, noting the alliance’s long‑standing presence in the region.

The recently signed EU‑Iceland security and defence partnership places Arctic cooperation and maritime security at the core of Iceland’s European future, underscoring the strategic importance of fisheries and broader Arctic interests.

TotalEnergies will exit its stake in Arctic LNG 2, while EU and UK regulators push to tighten scrutiny of European firms still linked to Russia.

Russia’s Ministry of Justice has listed both the Montenegro‑based FLAS university and the Norwegian organization Pikene på Broen AS as undesirable entities. The latter runs cultural projects in the Barents region, indicating a new regulatory push that could affect Arctic cultural activities.

A small Nordic country and four other NATO members signed a pact to boost maritime security across the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Russia's growing presence in its Arctic region is framed as a multifaceted threat, calling for balanced countermeasures that avoid overreacting or ignoring the challenge.

A Canadian warship is set to depart for Greenland before undertaking a historic Arctic crossing via the Northwest Passage, carrying a coast guard helicopter as part of a sovereignty assertion.

Canada has developed an Arctic Uncrewed Air System in partnership with industry, integrating soldiers from the 35 Canadian Brigade Group for intelligence and air surveillance missions.

Finnish startup Kelluu is deploying autonomous airships to Alaska and Canada, aiming to fill gaps in Arctic surveillance and defense.

Ukraine’s latest long‑range missile strikes deep inside Russian territory blew apart key elements of Moscow’s strategic "Deep Arctic Shield" defensive network, targeting critical space infrastructure in the Arctic.

HMCS Robert Hampton Gray, Canada's newest Arctic warship, crossed the entire Northwest Passage with a Coast Guard helicopter on a historic sovereignty mission, arriving at its new home base in British Columbia.

Finnish startup Kelluu is fielding small autonomous airships powered by hydrogen fuel cells that can loiter >12 hours in Arctic conditions, with trials underway in Alaska under the U.S. Defense Department’s Project G.I., aiming to provide persistent surveillance where satellites and drones are limited.