politics
‘Arctic Edge 2026’ Exercise Highlights Growing Focus on Arctic Missile Defense
As geopolitical competition intensifies in the Arctic, the United States, Canada and their partners are using the vast northern region as a training ground for increasingly complex homeland defense scenarios. Arctic Edge 2026, a large multinational exercise spanning Alaska and Greenland, has placed particular emphasis on cruise missile defense, reflecting growing concern that future threats to North America could approach from the High North.
Published
Modified
Ahead of NATO’s major northern military exercise, Cold Response 2026, the U.S. and Canada are engaged in Arctic training on their own focused on North America.
Arctic Edge 2026, a major military exercise led by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), is currently underway across Alaska and Greenland through March 13.
A key focus this year is cruise missile defense, reflecting concerns about the evolving threat posed by long-range precision weapons that could approach North America via polar routes. 
U.S., Canada and Denmark
The multi-domain field training exercise brings together U.S., Canadian, and Danish forces alongside numerous government and interagency partners to rehearse homeland defense missions in one of the world’s most challenging environments. 
The annual exercise is designed to improve readiness, strengthen interoperability and test new operational concepts for defending North America’s northern approaches.
Training activities span air, land, and maritime domains and include scenarios ranging from Arctic survival and mobility to the protection of critical infrastructure and counter-drone operations.
Missile defense as key aspect
Arctic Edge takes place against a backdrop of rising geopolitical competition in the High North. Melting sea ice, expanding shipping routes, and generally growing interest in the Arctic have drawn renewed strategic attention to the region.
At the same time, Russia has modernized military infrastructure across its Arctic region, while NATO members and partners have expanded surveillance, patrols, and training activities to reinforce deterrence.
Cruise missile defense
Within this broader context, one element of Arctic Edge 2026 stood out: joint cruise missile defense training conducted by U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters and Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets in Alaska.
Operating under the NORAD framework, the aircraft conducted coordinated training sorties designed to detect, track, and intercept simulated cruise missile threats approaching through Arctic airspace.
The drills took place primarily from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, where Canadian CF-18s flew alongside U.S. F-35s.
Unique challenges
The objective was to rehearse how NORAD would respond to low-flying, long-range missiles that could exploit the vast and sparsely monitored Arctic region as an avenue of approach to the North American continent. 
Cruise missile defense poses unique challenges compared with traditional air defense missions.
Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles can fly at low altitude, maneuver around terrain and approach from multiple directions, making them harder to detect and intercept.
By combining fourth-generation CF-18 fighters with fifth-generation F-35 stealth aircraft, the exercise tested how different capabilities, such as advanced sensors, data-sharing and interceptor tactics, can be integrated into a layered defense network.
Air defenses to the center
The focus on missile defense also reflects a broader trend across global military planning. From Ukraine to the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems are playing an increasingly prominent role in modern conflicts.
As a result, militaries are investing heavily in integrated air and missile defense systems that combine sensors, fighters, ground-based defenses and command-and-control networks. Arctic Edge 2026 demonstrates how those concepts are being adapted for the unique operational conditions of the Arctic.
Looking ahead, Arctic Edge is only one part of a growing calendar of Arctic military activity in 2026. This month, NATO and partner nations are engaging in Cold Response 2026 in northern Europe, expected to involve tens of thousands of troops training for large-scale operations in Arctic and sub-Arctic environments.
Together, these exercises highlight how the High North, once seen primarily as a remote frontier, is rapidly becoming a central arena for strategic competition and defense planning.
