Canada and US announce Arctic military exercises amid Russia tensions

‘If you placed all of continental Europe in the Canadian Arctic, there’d be room to spare,’ said retired Canadian colonel Pierre Leblanc. Photograph: David Goldman/AP

Canada and the US have issued a rare public notice over planned military exercises in the Arctic amid growing concern over Russian aggression.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command said on Tuesday that it would hold air defence exercises throughout the Canadian Arctic, adding that the drills were meant to test the ability to “respond to both aircraft and cruise missiles” threatening the continent.