NORAD and NORTHCOM Initiate Arctic Edge 2026 Multi-Domain Field Training Exercise in Alaska and Greenland
All training activities in Greenland proceed in full coordination with the Kingdom of Denmark.
ARCTIC REGION — North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) initiated Arctic Edge 2026 (AE26) on February 23 as a joint and combined multi-domain Field Training Exercise (FTX) in various locations throughout Alaska and Greenland.
All training activities in Greenland proceed in full coordination with the Kingdom of Denmark. Municipalities closest to designated operating areas include Anchorage, Kodiak, Fairbanks, and Kotzebue in Alaska, and Kangerlussuaq and Nuuk in Greenland. The exercise continues through March 13.
Exercise Scope and Timeline
AE26 spans approximately three weeks and integrates training across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. It emphasizes all-domain command-and-control relationships to support homeland defense missions in the Arctic. The exercise follows the established pattern of prior Arctic Edge iterations conducted on an annual basis.
Assessment: The three-week duration and multi-domain focus align with documented requirements for sustained operations in Arctic conditions, where environmental factors limit response windows and demand integrated capabilities across services and partners.
Participating Forces and Partners
The exercise includes NORAD and USNORTHCOM components from Air Forces Northern, Army North, Naval Forces Northern, Marine Forces Northern, Special Operations Command North, Alaskan NORAD Region, Canadian NORAD Region, Alaska Command, and Continental U.S. NORAD Region.
Partners comprise forces from Denmark, Canada, the Alaska National Guard, and interagency entities including the FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, FAA, Alaska Department of Homeland Security, Alaska state and local law enforcement, and Alaska Native communities.
Assessment: Inclusion of Alaska Native communities and full Danish coordination on Greenland activities reflects operational patterns observed in previous exercises that prioritize local and allied integration for sustained presence in remote Arctic areas.
