The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is monitoring the growing air cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic closely. According to U.S. General Gregory Guillot, the partnership between these nations, which staged their first joint patrol near Alaska’s Arctic coast last July, is of significant interest to NORAD. Although this collaboration is currently at a coordinated level rather than fully integrated, it still demands close attention due to its implications for regional security.
General Guillot highlighted the strong, longstanding military collaboration between the United States and Canada, citing how CF-18s operated alongside U.S. F-16s and F-35s during the incident in July. This cooperation underscores the necessity of joint training and preparedness in safeguarding the North American region.
Recent events have also exposed an increase in Russian military activity, including a notable encounter in September when Russian bombers were detected near Alaska. NORAD’s focus remains on improving detection capabilities and ensuring readiness against potential threats from Russia, which has demonstrated increasing reach capabilities.
The general emphasized the importance of reinforcing Arctic military presence through collaborative exercises with Canadian forces, noting the challenging operational conditions due to harsh weather and vast distances. Future strategies involve enhancing the Arctic readiness of forces, which includes preparing Canadian pilots for operating advanced F-35 fighter jets.
General Guillot’s efforts to familiarize himself with Arctic operations reflect NORAD’s commitment to maintaining security in this strategically significant region, especially as both U.S. and Canadian forces aim to expand their Arctic activities in the coming years.
