Canadian and U.S. military conduct first-ever joint platoon movement on arctic ice

On Mar. 15, 2023, during exercise Guerrier Nordique 23, a joint effort between the United States and Canada resulted in the first-ever platoon movement of its kind. Thirty-seven U.S. and Canadian soldiers were tactically inserted on Arctic Ocean ice east of Little Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada, via an LC-130 Hercules.

U.S. Army and Canadian Soldiers practiced and conducted tactical insertion on an open ice skiway delivered by an LC-130 Hercules skiplane of the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, on frozen oceanic Arctic ice near Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, Canada, March 15, 2023.
U.S. and Canadian Soldiers and U.S. Airmen participated in Guerrier Nordique 23 in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada from March 6 to March 20, 2023. U.S. Soldiers and Airmen consisted mainly of National Guard units from Connecticut, New Hampshire, Utah, New York, and Vermont. U.S. Army active duty Soldiers came from the 11th Airborne Division out of Fairbanks, Alaska. Canadian Soldiers came mainly from the 35th Canadian Brigade Group. Guerrier Nordique is an annual training exercise hosted by the Canadians in different locations each year. The training usually focuses on domestic emergencies and responses. For the first time this year, the focus of the exercise focused on military tactics and lethality.

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Boeing secures $1.9 billion order for Apache helicopters

Boeing has announced a $1.9 billion contract to build 184 AH-64E Apaches for the United States Army and international clients, including Australia. The deal could potentially increase to more than $3.8 billion with future obligations. Among the orders, 115 Apaches will go to the U.S. Army, with 15 to be procured as options. The 54 additional aircraft will be delivered to partner nations as part of the Foreign Military Sales program.

Col. Shane Finison, commander of the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, flies an AH-64E Apache helicopter near Tacoma, Wash. on Jul. 11, 2022. This was the final flight for Col. Finison as the brigade commander. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Kyle Abraham, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade)

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Belgium to buy 15 helicopters to replace its A109 and NH90 helicopters

In a move to bolster Belgium’s military capabilities, the Council of Ministers has given the green light to the acquisition of 20 light helicopters, 15 of which will be utilized by the army while the remaining five will be allocated for the police force. The purchase will be facilitated through NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).

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Next-generation Stinger missile program details to emerge in upcoming budget request

The U.S. Army has plans to develop a next-generation Stinger missile as a replacement for the current inventory, which is in decline. The Biden administration is expected to deliver its budget request to lawmakers soon, with additional details about the next-generation Stinger program expected to emerge. The Army plans to begin the design, development, and testing of a replacement missile in FY23, leading to the production of 10,000 M-SHORAD Inc 3 missiles beginning in FY27. The future missile will be launched from the Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher to target rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and Group 2-3 unmanned aircraft systems.

OKINAWA, Japan – A U.S. Army Green Beret with 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), fires a training round with the Stinger Missile System during a field exercise hosted by the Marine Low Altitude Air Defense Unit on Sept. 9, 2021 at Okinawa, Japan. This realistic training familiarizes Green Berets with the portable air-defense system and gives them the ability to rapidly deploy it in diverse environments across the Indo-Pacific. (This photo has been altered for security purposes.)

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