U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Tyler Anderson pulls security duty at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan. 17, 2026. He was part of a detachment working to prepare for Arctic Edge 2026, a major annual Arctic exercise. (Tala Hunt/U.S. Air Force)
The latest iteration of Arctic Edge, led by North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, launched on Monday throughout Alaska and, in a first, Greenland.
Arctic Edge 2026, which is intended to improve collaboration among partner organizations in the Arctic, will extend until March 13.
A spokesperson for the command confirmed this is the first time the annual exercise has included sites in Greenland and noted that it came after President Donald Trump approved an updated Unified Command Plan in May 2025 that transferred Greenland from the U.S. European Command area of responsibility to NORTHCOM’s.
“All activities in Greenland are conducted in full cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark,” the spokesperson said. NORTHCOM added that personnel with the Danish armed forces are “actively involved” in the exercise and said it “underscores the strong and trusted relationship” between the U.S. and Denmark. Denmark also took part in Arctic Edge 2025.
Canada, the FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and state and local Alaska officials are also taking part, according to a command news release.
Objectives for the exercise include coordinating on the protection of critical infrastructure in the Alaska theater, working on counter-drone defenses and training for Arctic survival and mobility in Greenland.
The annual exercise is aimed at demonstrating forces “are ready to secure North America in an increasingly complex Arctic security environment,” the release said.
American and NATO interest in the Arctic had been growing for years even before Trump began urging the handover of Greenland to the U.S. The alliance is also poised to step up its presence in the Arctic with a new surveillance mission called Arctic Sentry.
The previous iteration of Arctic Edge coincided with Northern Edge 2025, another Alaska-based exercise that is led by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
