NORAD Concludes Operation ARCTIC VANGUARD 26-4.2

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is scheduled to conclude Operation ARCTIC VANGUARD (OAV) 26-4.2 on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Beginning Sept. 13, NORAD personnel, aircraft and support elements operated primarily from 5 Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, alongside personnel and aircraft from the Kingdom of Denmark and NATO based out of Keflavik, Iceland.

OAV 26-4.2 was a NORAD-led operation within the recurring NORAD and U.S. Northern Command Operation ARCTIC VANGUARD series conducted across the North American Arctic. The operation enhanced NORAD's readiness and ability to conduct aerospace warning and aerospace control alongside partners and allies in the austere Arctic environment, strengthening its capacity to operate from forward Arctic locations and defend North America's northern approaches.

The operation integrated personnel, aircraft and support elements across regional and international boundaries, advancing interoperability and validating the processes, systems, platforms and capabilities needed to maintain an agile, integrated force prepared to respond to security challenges in the Arctic.

OAV 26-4.2 also demonstrated the NORAD and U.S. Northern Command Nordic Bridge concept, which aligns Arctic operations, exercises and training, activities, and investments with those of NATO, individual nations, and regional partners. By advancing coordination and information sharing, the operation supported a more consistent multinational presence across the Arctic and strengthened collective defense.

"Operation ARCTIC VANGUARD demonstrated the capability to generate an integrated multinational force in the Arctic," said Maj. Gen. David Moar, Director of Operations, NORAD. "Coordinating the deployment, sustainment, and command and control of personnel and aircraft across vast distances, from dispersed locations and in an unforgiving, austere environment, is inherently complex. By integrating defensive operations with a NATO E-3 AWACS aircraft, Alaskan NORAD Region F-16s, Canadian NORAD Region CF-18s, Royal Danish Air Force F-35s, and a significant number of support aircraft and equipment, we reinforced our interoperability in the air and on the ground. NORAD's partnerships with the Kingdom of Denmark and NATO to include continued development of the Nordic Bridge, are essential to the defense of North America."

NORAD, the world's only binational military command, remains vital to securing North America's northern approaches. Operations such as OAV develop the resilience, skills, training and experience needed to deploy and sustain critical capabilities in the High North, ensuring NORAD is prepared to detect, deter and, if necessary, defeat threats to North America.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information, please contact NORAD and U.S. Northern Command Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889 or [email protected].