NORAD and NORTHCOM Initiate Arctic Edge 2026 Multi-Domain Field Training Exercise in Alaska and Greenland

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.

Key Training Activities and Objectives

AE26 focuses on improving readiness, demonstrating capabilities, and enhancing interoperability. Planned activities include cruise missile defense, coordination on protection of non-Department of War critical infrastructure such as power grids and oil refineries in the Alaska Theater of Operations, counter-small unmanned aerial systems capabilities with synchronized base defense responsibilities, joint and service-level experimentation and technology demonstrations, and Arctic survival and mobility training in Greenland.

Assessment: These elements address specific operational requirements in the Arctic environment, where limited infrastructure and extreme conditions necessitate specialized training in survival, mobility, and multi-domain integration to maintain effective command-and-control.

Official Statements

• U.S. Northern Command, February 23, 2026: “NORAD and USNORTHCOM Launch Arctic Edge 2026. From Feb. 23 - March 13, 2026, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) will conduct Arctic Edge 2026 (AE26), a joint and combined multi-domain Field Training Exercise (FTX) across Alaska and Greenland. This annual exercise brings together forces from NORAD, USNORTHCOM, Denmark, Canada, the Alaska National Guard, interagency partners, and Alaska Native communities to improve readiness, demonstrate capabilities, and enhance interoperability in the Arctic region.”

• NORAD and USNORTHCOM Official Press Release, Peterson Space Force Base, February 23, 2026: “North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) will conduct ARCTIC EDGE 2026 (AE26), a joint and combined multi-domain Field Training Exercise (FTX) in various locations throughout Alaska and Greenland from Feb. 23 - March 13, 2026. All training activities in Greenland are conducted in full coordination with the Kingdom of Denmark. ... AE26 is an annual exercise designed to demonstrate engaged forces that are postured and ready to secure North America in an increasingly complex Arctic security environment.”

• North American Aerospace Defense Command, February 23, 2026: “As part of #ArcticEdge 2026, NORAD’s Alaska NORAD Region (ANR) and Canadian NORAD Region (CANR) will train side-by-side to strengthen our ability to operate in the austere Arctic environment and detect, track and, if necessary, defeat airborne threats to the U.S. & Canada.”