PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. –
Service members from U.S. Special Operations Command North and the U.S. Army’s 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) recently conducted operations in the Arctic Circle during Exercise Vigilant Shield 21 (VS21).
“Arctic activities like VS21 address the changing physical and strategic environment, and demonstrate our ability to sustain operations in the Arctic," said U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). "NORAD and USNORTHCOM can and will deter our competitors in competition, deescalate in crisis, and deny or defeat in conflict."
U.S. Special Operations Forces trained for the extreme conditions posed by the Arctic weather by conducting underwater operations beneath seven feet of ice, airborne infiltration from U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in negative 100 degree temperatures, and preparing to fight and prevail in the harsh conditions of the Arctic.
Guardians from the U.S. Space Force also deployed for the exercise providing communications and technical expertise to maintain all-domain awareness.
“Our operators are the most elite in the world and we must continue to train in every environment to be prepared for challenges we face,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Shawn Satterfield, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command North. “The Arctic is strategically important to our national defense and our competitors are attempting to exert increasing control and influence.”
While the U.S. and Canada have previously enjoyed the benefits of dominant military capabilities in all domains and relied on geography to serve as a barrier to keep our nations beyond the reach of most conventional threats, diminished sea ice and competition over resources present overlapping challenges in this strategically significant region. U.S. Northern Command’s strategy addresses the importance of maintaining a competitive advantage in the Arctic and makes it clear that our forces must continue to develop capabilities to deter and defeat adversaries.
“It's incumbent upon both NORAD and USNORTHCOM to be persistent in the Arctic, working with allies and partners and like-minded nations to maintain the consistency of the international rules-based norms and laws that have served us well over time,” VanHerck added. “Our presence sends a clear message that our competitors must adhere to international order to maintain prosperity for those nations who share interest in the Arctic.”