By THE ALASKA STORY
Feb. 10, 2026 – American and Canadian forces are beginning to redeploy from Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, following the latest iteration of Operation NOBLE DEFENDER, a major North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mission aimed at strengthening Arctic defense capabilities.
NORAD officials said personnel and aircraft from all three NORAD regions — Alaska, Canada, and the continental United States — participated in the operation, which ran from Jan. 21 through Feb. 3, 2026. The Canadian NORAD Region led the effort, forming a binational Air Task Force designed to enhance the command’s ability to deter, detect, and, if necessary, defeat emerging threats approaching North America through the Arctic.
While the primary phase of the operation has concluded, a contingent of personnel and aircraft will remain at Pituffik Space Base through the end of the week as redeployment takes place over multiple days.
Operation NOBLE DEFENDER, first designated as a NORAD operation in 2018, is conducted at planned intervals across North America. NORAD described the mission as a demonstration of its ability to defend the continent’s northern approaches, integrate capabilities across multiple domains, and preserve readiness for future operations.
Forward operating locations such as Greenland are a routine part of NORAD’s Arctic posture, officials said, supporting aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning missions for both Canada and the United States.
This year’s operation also highlighted expanded allied cooperation in the Arctic. As in previous iterations, a Danish CL-604 Challenger aircraft was on standby to provide additional search-and-rescue capabilities. For the first time during Operation NOBLE DEFENDER, the Royal Danish Air Force carried out complementary air defense activities alongside NORAD forces, underscoring collective defense coordination among Arctic allies.
The operation involved 157 American and Canadian personnel drawn from the Alaskan NORAD Region, Canadian NORAD Region, and Continental US NORAD Region. Aircraft participating included CF-18 Hornets, F-16 Fighting Falcons, KC-135 Stratotankers, KC-46 Pegasus refueling aircraft, an E-3 Sentry airborne warning platform, and a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter.
NORAD said the mission required extensive maintenance, logistics, and command-and-control support to sustain operations in some of the harshest conditions on the continent’s northern edge.
During the deployment, crews operated in extreme cold-weather environments, with temperatures routinely reaching minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit and wind chills dropping as low as minus 36 degrees. Despite the challenging conditions, officials said aircrews, maintainers, and support personnel executed missions safely and effectively, demonstrating NORAD’s ability to operate in demanding Arctic environments.
Pituffik Space Base, located in northwest Greenland, provides NORAD added flexibility to position forces closer to the northern approaches of North America and offers valuable operational experience in the High Arctic as geopolitical competition in the region continues to grow.
