New DOD Strategy Calls for Enhancements, Engagements, Exercises in Arctic

The Protection Division right now launched its 2024 Arctic Technique. The technique acknowledges how environmental modifications are affecting the Arctic area, particulars the implications for U.S. safety and spells out how the division plans to be prepared to satisfy new challenges there.

“The Arctic area of the US is vital to the protection of our homeland, the safety of U.S. nationwide sovereignty and the preservation of our protection treaty commitments,” Deputy Protection Secretary Kathleen Hicks stated right now throughout a briefing on the Pentagon. “Our Arctic technique will information the division’s efforts to make sure that the Arctic stays a safe and secure area.”

Eight nations have a presence within the Arctic, together with Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the US and Russia. All have pursuits there for each commerce and safety. 

Local weather modifications have meant the melting of ice within the Arctic and the opening of latest sea routes, which implies new alternatives for commerce and useful resource exploitation, but additionally elevated danger to nations whose borders had been beforehand protected by the area’s inaccessibility. 

“Local weather change is basically altering the Arctic, and with it, geopolitics and U.S. protection missions,” Hicks stated. “The readiness of our forces for these missions is all the time foremost on our minds, and that is why for many years, throughout Republican and Democratic administrations, the division has been looking for to make sure our army capabilities can meet the mark, even within the face of a altering local weather.” 

Local weather change and the shifts within the working setting, Hicks stated, imply the U.S. should rethink methods to defend warfighters and stop battle.  

The Folks’s Republic of China, not an Arctic nation, is rising its presence within the Arctic. The PRC operates three icebreakers within the Arctic, for example, and has a army presence there as properly. The Chinese language army has additionally demonstrated its potential to function within the Arctic by conducting operations with the Russian navy, for example. 

“Whereas not an Arctic state, the PRC seeks higher affect within the area, higher entry to the area, and a higher say in its governance,” Hicks stated. “That is regarding given that it is the solely strategic competitor with the need and more and more the wherewithal to remake the worldwide order.”

Russia’s presence within the Arctic, together with its army presence — the most important of all Arctic nations — can maintain U.S. and allied territories in danger. On the similar time, Russia is rising its presence within the Arctic by reopening Soviet-era army installations. 

“Russia continues to pose an acute menace to safety and stability within the area,” Hicks stated. “Russia has continued to construct up its army infrastructure within the Arctic and assert extreme claims over Arctic waters.” 

Russia can also be partnering with China, Hicks stated, and this presents further issues for U.S. protection. 

“We have seen rising cooperation between the PRC and Russia within the Arctic, commercially, with the PRC being a significant funder of Russian vitality exploitation within the Arctic, and more and more militarily, with Russia and China conducting joint workouts off the coast of Alaska,” Hicks stated. “All of those challenges have been amplified as a result of the consequences of local weather change are quickly warming temperatures and thinning ice protection, and it is enabling all of this exercise.” 

The DOD’s 2024 Arctic Technique addresses these issues within the Arctic with three traces of effort, together with enhancing the capabilities of the joint drive, higher engagement with allies and companions and exercising U.S. presence within the Arctic. 

“Our Arctic technique adopts a ‘monitor and reply,’ strategy within the area,” Hicks stated. “It’s underpinned by sturdy area consciousness and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, cooperation with our allies and companions and deterrent energy enabled by the agility of the joint drive. The technique focuses on enhancing our area consciousness and Arctic capabilities, participating with our allies and companions and exercising calibrated presence within the area.”

Iris Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary of protection for arctic and international resilience, stated mission enhancement consists of, amongst different issues, a give attention to area consciousness within the Arctic. 

“We should enhance our area consciousness and improve our potential to detect and reply with our Canadian allies to threats to the homeland,” Ferguson stated. “A key focus for my workplace is championing investments that can improve our consciousness of threats within the area. We need to ensure that we’ve got the precise sensing structure and the precise communications structure for command and management.” 

Additionally, a goal for operational enhancements within the Arctic are enhancements to communications and information structure; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; infrastructure; and chilly climate gear and mobility. 

With seven of the eight Arctic nations additionally members of NATO, the U.S. has nice partnership alternatives within the area. The technique directs the U.S. to make the most of these partnerships and others, as a solution to strengthen U.S. safety. 

“Our robust community of companions, together with Arctic allies, federal, state, native and tribal companions, are key stakeholders in securing the Arctic and our homeland,” Ferguson stated. “From the communities that host our bases and troops in Alaska, to our colleagues within the U.S. Coast Guard and the Division of Homeland Safety, all of us have a task to play to take care of the steadiness of the Arctic Area.” 

Lastly, the 2024 Arctic Technique directs the division to boost U.S. safety by means of elevated presence within the Arctic, together with elevated operations and army workouts.  

“Exercising techniques and gear is a prerequisite not just for success however for survival within the distinctive Arctic setting,” Ferguson stated. “To this finish, considered one of my workplace’s key implementation priorities shall be making certain that the joint drive is supplied and ready to function there.” 

The technique requires continued service-specific, joint, interagency and mixed workouts in addition to conflict video games, simulations and tabletop workouts that target the Arctic. The technique additionally requires army companies to conduct coaching within the Arctic to construct expertise working there.