Russia and China National Security Threats

NORAD and U.S. Northern Command have completed Arctic Edge 2026, an annual Arctic training exercise that for the first time ran simultaneously in Alaska and Greenland and was coordinated with Denmark, including U.S. and Danish special forces. Held in the dead of winter, the drills focused on basic survival and operating weapons systems in temperatures that can drop to –40°F, with commanders saying units must be prepared for potential cruise‑missile threats from Russia and, increasingly, China even though they see no current intelligence of an imminent attack on Alaska. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis said aircraft are routinely damaged when crews unfamiliar with Arctic protocols skip steps like warming hydraulic systems, and Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. Iain Huddleston stressed that "half of the battle" in these conditions is simply surviving. At Fort Greely, Alaska, forces tested defenses against both a lone surveillance drone and a small swarm of about six drones, finding that multiple sensor types detected every aircraft in sub‑zero conditions and using a net‑based counter‑drone system to capture one intact for exploitation. The exercise, which proceeded despite President Trump’s repeated political threats this year to "take control" of Greenland, reflects a broader U.S. push to harden Arctic defenses and iron out very practical hardware and training gaps before a real crisis over the polar approaches ever materializes.