The US Coast Guard has successfully completed a major interoperability exercise conducted by the crews of the Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Stone and the Norwegian Coast Guard Jan Mayen-class patrol vessel NoCGV Hopen.
The exercise, part of Operation Arctic Cohesion (OAC) 2026, took place from July 8 to 15 off the coast of New England and ashore in Newport, Rhode Island.
During the exercise, the crews of Stone and Hopen focused on building familiarity, strengthening coordinated response, and improving seamanship. Highlights of the event included crew exchanges to share best practices, joint underway training, and discussions on Arctic coast guard operations.
The two coast guards are part of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF). The exercise was observed by members from ACGF partner nations Canada and Finland to capture lessons learned to carry forward to other ACGF states.
OAC 2026 is a multi-phase deployment running from June 19 to August 11, 2026.
Hopen’s voyage began in Norway and continued to Iceland and the United States to participate in the International Naval Review 250 in New York. Following the exercise with Stone, Hopen will participate in engagements in Canada, Greenland, and Iceland before returning to Norway.