Security

In just three weeks ATCO Frontec converted a site in Resolute Bay, Nunavut into a temporary base that can house 350 Canadian Armed Forces personnel for Operation NANOOK‑NUNAKPUT, which continues until September 25. The construction supports heightened northern readiness, surveillance and security, developed with Indigenous, government and community partners.

On 21 Sept, U.S., Japan and South Korea foreign ministers met in New York and issued a joint statement affirming continued trilateral cooperation on Arctic matters. They did not announce a new shipping or ice‑breaker pact, but agreed to strengthen inter‑governmental communication, advance their existing maritime security framework and pursue small‑modular‑reactor deployment while addressing energy supply resilience.

Rear Admiral Bob Little, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District, said U.S. forces are watching Chinese vessels that have operated off the Aleutian Islands, the Bering Strait and up to the North Pole in 2026. The ships were in international waters, had not notified Washington in advance, and claimed to conduct scientific research. Little warned that such activity could involve mineral‑mining research on U.S. seabed and that the vessels might provide China with a military advantage. China, which calls itself a "near‑Arctic" state, has been expanding its presence in the region and p...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Ottawa reaffirmed their partnership, announcing plans to deepen defence and Arctic cooperation amid Russian hybrid threats. They agreed to expand intelligence sharing and joint development of underwater and space capabilities. Carney also highlighted a pending collaboration with a German‑Norwegian shipbuilder to produce and maintain 12 Canadian submarines and cited earlier talks that set a framework for Arctic security, space, critical minerals and energy aligned with Canada’s Arctic foreign policy.

From 18‑22 Sept 2026, U.S. and Canadian forces carried out a joint Arctic kill‑chain exercise called TUNDRA MERLIN about 100 nautical miles north of Dutch Harbor. The drill included Alaska‑based F‑35 fighters, E‑3 AWACS, RCAF maritime patrol aircraft, U.S. Coast Guard cutters and Royal Canadian Navy surface and subsurface vessels, testing rapid target detection, data‑flow, and engagement procedures.

Japanese, U.S. and South Korean officials said they plan to sign a memorandum of understanding at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The draft calls for maritime cooperation and expanding energy supplies in the Arctic, a working group tentatively named the “Arctic‑Pacific trilateral partnership,” and cooperation with the Arctic Council. Japan will deploy its research vessel Mirai II to aid navigation safety, while U.S. concerns about Russia and China and South Korea’s aim to shorten Arctic sea routes are noted.

In September 2026, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed a security agreement that expands U.S. military activity at the Mestersvig outpost while Greenland remains under Danish sovereignty. Chinese observers say the deal could limit Beijing’s ability to engage in Greenland and make Western Arctic states more cautious, but it is unlikely to disrupt China’s existing cooperation with Russia.

Norway’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security adopted a special regulation that restricts the seizure of Russian vessels used to supply the Svalbard community, including the Barentsburg settlement. Moscow is expected to view the move as a victory, while the Justice Ministry says the regulation does not affect the ongoing seizure of the Professor Molchanov. Some experts believe the new rule could resolve that case.

On 22 September the United States, Denmark and Greenland signed a security agreement that, while preserving Greenland’s sovereignty, permits the U.S. to consider establishing a presence at the Mestersvig outpost. The agreement has been interpreted by some officials as granting the U.S. “permanent control” over security, a claim that remains contested and has not been formally ratified or implemented.

In Operation Arctic Vanguard, NORAD fighter aircraft from Goose Bay, Canadian and Danish jets, and NATO support conducted joint air‑defense exercises at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. The training involved aerial refueling from Québec, airborne command‑and‑control aircraft, and coordinated missions against simulated threats, extending up to Keflavik, Iceland.