PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. –
Arctic Edge 20 is a North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command exercise scheduled every two years. Alaskan Command serves as the host headquarters for the bi-national joint-training exercise scheduled February 24 -March 6, 2020 across Alaska.
As a Homeland Defense exercise, AE20 provides high quality and effective training in the extreme cold-weather conditions found in Arctic environments.
AE20 is the largest joint exercise scheduled in Alaska this year. Approximately 1,000 U.S. military personnel will participate in the multi-service exercise along with members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Together, NORAD and USNORTHCOM contribute complimentary, multi-domain capabilities towards the defense of Canada and the United States.
"There's great realization, with the increased human activity in the Arctic, that there's an importance that all of our services, Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines, have the ability to operate in the austere Arctic environment," said Lt. Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, Alaskan NORAD Region and Alaskan Command commander.
"Alaska provides an opportunity to train in that environment and I'm a firm believer that the way to preserve peace is to have a strong military and present deterrence in the Arctic. There's no better place in my mind to train to that environment than Alaska."
Participating units include:
- North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command
- Alaskan NORAD Region & Alaskan Command
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Army North
- U.S. Army Alaska
- 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
- 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment
- Army Futures Command
- U.S. Navy
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three
- U.S. Marine Corps
- 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion
- 6th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company
- Chemical Biological Incident Response Force
- 7th Engineer Support Battalion
- 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
- 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment
- U.S. Air Force
- 319th Reconnaissance Wing
- 611th Air Operations Center
- 109th Airlift Wing
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S.C.G. Sector Juneau
- U.S.C.G. District 17
AE20 is linked to the National Guard's Arctic Eagle exercise and the U.S. Navy's Ice Exercise (ICEX). These exercises will occur during February and March 2020 and will prepare Arctic-capable forces across all domains.
Video and imagery of Arctic Edge 2020 will be posted at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/AE20.