US military holds multiple Arctic defense drills in region

By Jenni Monet

When people in Southcentral Alaska spotted a large white and silver balloon floating in the sky last week, it quickly got people talking about the unmanned Chinese balloon that flew into United States airspace two years ago. That incident was enough to put people on edge and an F-22 fighter jet from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down the unidentified object which had been flying above Alaska’s North Slope.  
But this week, NORAD — the North American Aerospace Defense Command — was quick to calm nerves. That balloon people saw was simply part of Arctic Edge, the annual Arctic-themed military drill in various locations around Alaska, including Anchorage, Nome, Kotzebue, Cold Bay, Delta Junction and Fairbanks.
According to the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), which is collaborating with NORAD during Arctic Edge, some of the activities include the kind of eyes in the sky satellite monitoring which is what helps explain that early August balloon sighting.  But other drills are more charged such as how to track and intercept incoming cruise missiles. 
The Tu-95MS bomber—one of the Russian aircraft that approached Alaska last year—is capable of carrying up to 16 cruise missiles, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Russian submarines stationed in the Far East are also capable of launching cruise missiles.
“It’s important to us to increase our operability and prepare for any kind of real world situations,” said U.S. Navy Captain Chris Rierson.  “Arctic Edge 25 provides that opportunity to own those capabilities, to test equipment, and to look at future applications to make sure that we’re protecting the United States.” 
Military training in the Arctic is nothing new.  Troops have been taking to the Far North for extreme weather exercises since the days of the Cold War.  But heightened tensions in the Arctic have intensified these tactics. 
Last summer, the U.S. military released its updated Arctic strategy, calling for an increased presence in the region. This has resulted in as many as four military training exercises happening in the region during July and August, alone.  
Last month, the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies hosted the Arctic Operational Risk Course for U.S. and Canadian forces for the first time between July 14 to 18.  
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard is currently carrying out its Operation Frontier Sentinel, an activity that led to the detection of as many as five Chinese research vessels operating in and around the U.S. Arctic. 
Operation Polar Dagger is another exercise focused on the region, designed to demonstrate the command’s ability to detect, deter, and disrupt adversarial threats.  The operation involves a variety of special operations forces from the Army, Navy, and Air Force — training in Alaska designed to enhance their capabilities in an Arctic environment.  Expected to return sometime this month (the precise timing is classified), NORAD officials say that Operation Dagger would not be coordinated with Arctic Edge.
The layered military presence suggests the U.S. military is conducting its training with a sharper eye on many changes shaping the land and waterways of the Far North. 
“It’s interesting to refocus on the Arctic and how strategic and a value Alaska is to the Bering Strait,” said Captain Rierson.  “A lot of the environmental impacts with, you know, the ice shrinking and providing more avenues to have shorter routes for trade — I think that is having a big impact throughout the entire region. And so, for us, I think it’s important to keep an eye on that.” 
Arctic Edge is expected to conclude on August 31. It includes participation from the UK, Denmark, and interagency partners including the Alaska National Guard, FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, Alaska State and local law enforcement.