2026 Joint Arctic SAR
May 5–6
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland Parliament Hotel (venue)
Highlights from the Event
Program
May 5
Building Resilience: Emerging Threats and Collaboration in Arctic SAR
8:30 Registration
9:00 Welcome & Opening
Georg Larusson, Director General of the Icelandic Coast Guard
Frigg Jørgensen, Executive Director, AECO
9:10 Event Overview & Operational Baseline
Overview of the Arctic SAR landscape, including the operational baseline of search and rescue capacity, operator capabilities, and current challenges.
Audunn Kristinsson, Chief of Operations, Icelandic Coast Guard
Peter Garapick,Director, External Relations, Quark Expeditions
10:00 Arctic Security
Focus on emerging threats and the geopolitical context.
Soley Kaldal, Risk Management & Safety Engineer, Icelandic Coast Guard
10:45 Coffe Break
11:00 Five Eyes in the Arctic
Consular knowledge exchange and incident preparedness.
James Moody, Consular Regional Operations Manager, British Embassy
Steven Gardiner, Consul – Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Embassy of Australia
11:20 Panel: Consular Integration in Arctic SAR
Embassy perspective on crisis activation, passenger documentation, and diplomatic coordination during major incidents.
James Moody, British Embassy
Asgrimur L. Asgrimsson, Chief of Operation Icelandic Coast Guard
Shaun Powell, Director of Expedition Operations, Seabourn
Moderator: Gyða Guðmundsdóttir, Head of Community Engagement, AECO
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Cyber Security Threats
GNSS jamming, satellite interference, data theft, and interference with operational systems.
Bryndís Bjarnadóttir, Cyber Security Specialist, CERT-IS
13:45 Panel: Cyber Security Threats
Bryndís Bjarnadóttir, Cyber Security Specialist, CERT-IS
Claus Anderson, SVP Maritime Operations HX Expeditions
Patrick Kilbane, Director Marine Operations, Holland America Line & Seabourn
David Cohen, VP, Pole Star Global
Moderator: Henrik Ramm-Schmidt, Founder & CEO, Fleetrange Ltd.
14:30 Wrap-up
Frigg Jørgensen, AECO
15:00 Social Activity: Visit to the CCP
18:30 Pre-dinner Drinks
British Embassy, Laufásvegur 31, Reykjavik
19: 45 Dinner
Three-course dinner with wine pairings at Bryggjuhúsið.
May 6
Strengthening Arctic SAR through Community Preparedness and Crisis Simulation
8:30 Coffee & Networking
9:00 Recap of Day 1 & Objectives for Day 2
Johan Müller, SAR Mission Coordinator, MRCC Faroe Islands
9:10 Community Preparedness
Emergency preparedness and response for remote communities, highlighting their unique capabilities & needs from operators and search and rescue organizations.
Steve Thompson, Superintendent, Maritime SAR, Canadian Coast Guard
9:30 Panel: Preparedness, Collaboration & Capacity Building
Auðunn Kristinsson, Icelandic Coast Guard
Guðbrandur Örn Arnarson, Project Manager SAR, ICE-SAR
Peter Garapick, Quark Expeditions
Johan Müller, MRCC Faroe Islands
Craig Lingard, Director, Civil Security, Kativik Regional Government
Moderator: Steve Thompson, Canadian Coast Guard
10:00 Coffe Break
TTX Frozen Silence
Johan Müller, MRCC Faroe Islands
Snorre Greil, Project Manager, Icelandic Coast Guard
Anna Finnbogadóttir, Specialist, Icelandic Coast Guard
10:15 Introduction
Briefing on the exercise scenario, objectives, and roles.
10:30 Part 1 – Distress to Initial Coordination
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Part 2 – Passenger Care and Diplomatic Response
14:30 Coffe Break
14:45 TTX Debrief
15:15 Introduction to the initiative: Cruise Control 2028
An initiative to enhance safety and disaster preparedness for cruise ship operations.
15:45 Closing Remarks
Frigg Jørgensen, AECO
Audunn Kristinsson, Icelandic Coast Guard
About the Event
The Joint Arctic SAR Event (JASE) builds on AECO’s long‑standing engagement in Arctic search and rescue collaboration. In 2016, AECO initiated its first large‑scale Joint Arctic SAR tabletop exercise and workshop in partnership with the Icelandic Coast Guard and Hurtigruten, bringing together industry, SAR authorities, and academia.
Since then, AECO has continued to develop Joint Arctic SAR workshops and exercises to strengthen information exchange, coordination, and trust between expedition cruise operators and SAR entities. Through platforms such as the Arctic Security Preparedness Network (ARCSAR)—where AECO represented the expedition cruise industry—these efforts have also emphasized the role of the industry as a resource in SAR operations.
The 2026 event was organized by AECO and the Icelandic Coast Guard, in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard and MRCC Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands.
Last update: 08. May 2026