politics
US and Canada Conduct Homeland Defense Operation in the Arctic
US and Canadian forces train to defend the Alaskan theather of operations during homeland defense focused operation Tundra Merlin.
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The long-planned homeland defense operation Tundra Merlin is now underway in the Arctic.
Involving US and Canadian forces, the operation takes place in the Alaskan Theather of Operations, and aims to integrate assigned forces and strengthen the ability to defend North America and operate effectively in the Arctic.
The operation combines capabilities across the land, sea, air, and space domains and is to achieve complete multi-domain awareness in the region, a press release from the Alaskan NORAD Region and Alaskan Command reads.
Practices rapid movement
As part of the operation, the Alaskan Command informs that the U.S. Army will rapidly mobilize equipment and personnel in vicinity of Nome, Alaska.
This is to demonstrate its ability to quickly position capabilities in remote Arctic environments.
On Friday, US Northern Command furthermore announced it had deployed an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Nome in support of the operation. The HIMARS was transported aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, which also stopped at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to transport soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division.
"The deployment brings mobile, long-range precision fires to the Alaskan theater of operations and demonstrates U.S. and Canadian forces’ capabilities to rapidly move combat equipment and personnel across the Arctic in defense of the Homeland and its approaches," a press release states.
Arctic Patrol
Moreover, the operation have also featured a five-day, 800-mile combined sail with vessels from the US Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy to strengthen Arctic security.
The combined Arctic patrol and transit took place from July 20 to 24 in the Bering Sea and Bering Strait and involved an allied formation featuring the US Coast Guard Cutters Munro, Storis and Fir as well as Royal Canadian Navy vessel HMCS Max Bernays.
"This combined mission strengthened interoperability between U.S. and Canadian maritime forces while enhancing homeland defense and domain awareness across the Arctic region," the Alaskan Command states.
Tracked Chinese vessels
The Arctic patrol took place just days after the US Coast Guard monitored two Chinese research vessels in the Bering Sea.
The USCG informs that the Chinese research ship Xue Long transited north through the US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and over the US extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea with a declared destination of the Arctic, and the Xue Long 2, another China-flagged research vessel, transiting to the Arctic.
This was the first time this year that Chinese vessels were tracked transiting through the US EEZ and over the US extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea, and in response, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro executed Operation Frontier Sentinel to actively monitor the vessels during their northbound transit.
"This operation is designed to protect American sovereign rights, ensure consistency with international law, and position the Coast Guard to rapidly respond to any detected malign activity," the USCG states in a press release and continues:
"While foreign vessels are permitted to operate within the U.S. EEZ and over the U.S. extended continental shelf in accordance with international law, the Coast Guard remains vigilant to ensure their activities comply with established international law. In particular, conducting marine scientific research within the U.S. EEZ and/or on the U.S. extended continental shelf would require advance permission from the United States and subsequent sharing of information collected."
The US Coast Guard highlights that it has observed heightened activity in the U.S. Arctic in recent years and anticipates continued and increased presence in the region this summer.
As HNN has previously reported, the Coast Guard responded to two Chinese research vessels entering the US extended continental shelf in the Arctic in September 2025. China has furthermore increased its military footsteps in this region, among other things conducting joint coast guard patrols in the Arctic Ocean and air patrols with Russia off the coast of Alaska in recent years.
