U.S. Second Fleet’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), departed Halifax, Canada August 15, 2024, to join maritime partners from Canada, Denmark, and the U.S. Coast Guard for Operation Nanook 2024.
Operation Nanook (OP NANOOK), led by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), is an annual northern operation designed to test the ability of multinational forces to operate in the Arctic environment. The U.S.'s long-standing partnership with Canada enhances both nations' operational capabilities, with Black bringing advanced maritime tools to the operation and testing the region's maritime homeland defense capabilities.
"Canada is one of the U.S.'s closest neighbors, and we share a collective interest in homeland defense," said Vice Adm. Doug Perry, Commander, U.S. Second Fleet. "The mission of the Second Fleet extends beyond our coastal waters, and our ability to provide assets across the Atlantic is critical. We are good neighbors and strong partners. When the call comes from our allies, Second Fleet is ready to fight in any environment."
Maritime homeland defense is a core mission of the U.S. Second Fleet (C2F), and Arctic operations are part of a comprehensive series of joint, interagency, and multinational activities designed to defend Canada and secure northern regions. Working alongside Allies and partners, C2F plays a vital role in preserving the Arctic as a secure and stable region, and ensuring the North American homeland is defended. C2F has annually participated in OP NANOOK, strengthening these partnerships and demonstrating U.S. Arctic capabilities.
Earlier this year, C2F demonstrated its global readiness by performing Arctic operations during Steadfast Defender 2024, further solidifying its role as a key player in Arctic defense. This experience, coupled with the annual participation in OP NANOOK, underscores the fleet's adaptability and commitment to safeguarding the Arctic region.
"The NATO alliance is strong and our collective navies are adaptable, interchangeable, and always ready," said Canadian Rear Admiral David Patchell, Vice Commander U.S. Second Fleet, who recently served as Commander, Task Force-North during Steadfast Defender 2024. "Each time we exercise with our partners in the Atlantic and Arctic, it makes us stronger and more capable. It is crucial that we seize every opportunity to train in the North, as this environment has its own unique set of operational and sustainment challenges."
The maritime portion of OP NANOOK will enhance polar interoperability between the Royal Canadian Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, and the Royal Danish Navy. Participating forces will engage in a series of exercises, including Maritime Interdiction Operations, boarding drills, gunnery exercises, search and rescue simulations, damage control scenarios, and fleet maneuver drills. These activities will be conducted in northern Arctic waters, including fjord transits near Nuuk, Greenland.
"U.S. Second Fleet brings a wide range of command and control capability, expertise and mission sets to any maritime operation," said Patchell. "Exercises such as OP NANOOK demonstrate an enduring commitment to the Arctic while providing invaluable insight into the capabilities, tactics, and procedures of participating nations, enabling us to further our combined Northern operational readiness."
The participating units include the Royal Canadian Navy’s Harry DeWolf-Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, HMCS Margaret Brooke and HMCS Harry DeWolf; the Royal Danish Navy’s Knud Rasmussen-Class Patrol Vessel, HDMS Lauge Koch; the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Northland; and the U.S. Navy’s USS Delbert D. Black.
As the Arctic environment continues to change, with increasing maritime military and commercial traffic, the Navy is committed to environmental stewardship. Strong defense relationships with Arctic allies provide a collective deterrent against strategic challenges. OP NANOOK-Tuugaalik, the maritime component of the exercise, showcases the U.S. and Royal Canadian Navy’s ability to operate in extreme Arctic conditions, ensuring readiness and protecting shared interests.
U.S. 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime forces ready to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.