Recent US naval operations underscore concerns about High North competition

USS Gerald R Ford is shown here operating in the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle. (US Navy)

A US Navy (USN) carrier strike group (CSG) operated with NATO allies in the Norwegian Sea through early September while the US Coast Guard (USCG) sent assets to shadow Chinese research vessels off the Alaskan Arctic coast at about the same time, according to both American naval services.

The USN, NATO, and USCG operations underscore the growing tension and naval might in the Arctic and High North, as detailed by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its report Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress , released 14 July.

“The Department of Defense (DoD) and the [US] Coast Guard are devoting increased attention to the Arctic in their planning, budgeting, and operations,” the CRS said.

For more information on USCG funding, please seePentagon Budget 2026: US Coast Guard to receive USD25 billion in reconciliation funding .

“NATO is conducting increased exercises in the region, some of which have been large exercises involving thousands of personnel from multiple countries,” the CRS reported.

NATO also is conducting smaller joint operations, as evidenced between 23 August and 8 September when CSG 12 anchored by aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) led an allied maritime force with Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and NATO allies France, Germany, and Norway to conduct routine operations in the High North region, the USN confirmed on 8 September.