The head of the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) has stated that the growing military cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic region is receiving the command's "full attention." This comes after the two nations conducted their first joint patrol near Alaska's coast last July.
U.S. Gen. Gregory Guillot, in a recent interview, emphasized that while Chinese and Russian forces are demonstrating coordinated operations, they are not yet at the level of integration seen between the U.S. and Canadian militaries. He noted that such deep military integration typically requires decades to achieve, adding, "As they continue to operate up there more, it certainly has our attention and it’s something we watched very closely."
Furthermore, NORAD is observing an unprecedented level of coordination between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, highlighting a shift in global strategic alliances. This increased collaboration presents a new set of challenges for North American defense.
Despite past political disagreements concerning Canada's defense spending, Gen. Guillot emphasized the strong military ties between the U.S. and Canada. He cited a July incident where Canadian CF-18s and U.S. F-16s and F-35s successfully coordinated responses, illustrating the deep level of integration achieved through years of joint training.
Additionally, there was a noted increase in Russian activity in the past year, including an incident in late September where Russian bombers were detected off the coast of Alaska. During this event, one Russian fighter jet acted in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner" while intercepting a U.S. aircraft, which was described by Gen. Guillot as surprising for a professional air force.
However, the primary concern highlighted by NORAD is Russia's growing capability to pose threats from increasingly distant locations, pushing the command to enhance its threat detection capabilities. Gen. Guillot also highlighted the need for the U.S. and Canada to strengthen their Arctic presence through more exercises and operations. The challenging conditions of the Arctic require constant acclimatization for troops to be effective during crises.
To that end, Gen. Guillot recently visited Cold Lake, Alberta, and flew in a CF-18, as he is planning a trip to Inuvik, N.W.T. in February to better understand the region's operations. He also noted that the U.S. is hosting Canadian pilots for F-35 training in Alaska, highlighting the importance of learning how to operate fifth-generation fighters in the Arctic environment, a significant leap from older fighter jets. He added, "We're already starting that now to help speed up the transition.”
