On Tuesday, the US Navy released a report titled “A Strategic Blueprint for the Arctic” that calls for a regular US Navy and Marine Corps presence in the northern waters to counter Russia and China.
The strategy fits in with the US military’s focus away from counterterrorism in the Middle East towards so-called “great power competition” with Russia and China, as outlined by the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The document says melting sea ice will create more navigable waters in the Arctic and “create new challenges and opportunities off our northern shores.”
“Without sustained American naval presence and partnerships in the Arctic Region, peace and prosperity will be increasingly challenged by Russia and China, whose interests and values differ dramatically from ours,” the strategy reads.
Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite discussed the new strategy with reporters on Tuesday. Braithwaite said the Navy will be operating in a more “permanent manner” above the Arctic Circle and said the US will make transits near Russia’s coast to challenge Moscow’s claims.
Breaking Defense asked Braithwaite if the US will begin running Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) near Russia’s northern coast, a type of maneuver the US does to challenge China’s claims to the South China Sea.
“It’s sort of the same situation in the South China Sea that when we look at freedom of navigation operations and the ability to operate in international waters, the United States claims the right to be able to do that,” Braithwaite responded.
He said the FONOPs could take the Navy into the Barents Sea and up towards Russia’s Kola Peninsula, areas where Moscow’s Arctic Northern Fleet operates.
Braithwaite said “near-peer competitors” believe certain bodies of water in the Arctic belong to them. “Well, the international community recognizes that those are international waters we’re gonna operate there,” he said. “That’s the more bold posturing that we feel is our right, and our responsibility, frankly, as the predominant naval force in the world.”
Even with global warming, there’s still ice up there, something the US is ill-equipped for. Russia has the world’s largest icebreaker fleet, numbering over 40 total with three more under construction and a dozen planned in the next
decade. China, too, is building ice breakers and and investing in Arctic infrastructure. . By contrast, the U.S. Coast Guard has just two polar icebreakers: the Polar Star and the Healy.. .here from DefenseNews.
Regarding FONOPS, that’s something Navy has been doing for years as a basis for its propaganda that the US rules the world especially against the appointed US enemies. It has no other import. It accomplishes nothing. It’s silly.
Yep and Amerikas navy will be calling the Russians to help there ships out of the Ice.
This is pretty much what the captain of Polar Star said to Congress back then in Obama time when asked about patrolling Arctic.
Polar Star actually is maintained by scavenging parts from an old icebreaker. There are no nuclear icebreakers in our future, as all new projected ones are diesel. And it is not advisable to run out o fuel when stuck in ice.
Russia has many nuclear ones, and recently put in service one of the largest. In addition, for more then a year Russia deployed nuclear floating power plant, and with icebreakers it can take it wherever needed to be plugged into electric grids. At present, used in places where new projects are launched, be that military or civilian ports with rescue capabilities or an energy exploration launch. In all such cases, initial energy needs are great until permanent energy supply is established. In other words, they have plans for their Arctic Ocean cost.
I am at a loss as to our objective in harassing anyone in Russian waters. It is not that Russia is objecting to civilian maritime traffic — just the contrary, it is hoping to profit from the Northern Route, and is building infrastructure.
Someone is missing the whole point of big power competition. It means get better at something, compete. Nobody can be best at EVERYTHING and FOREVER. It is wise to contemplate our place on this planet we share with others. To be leader means to effectively work with others to insure we are safe and prosperous, but not at the expense of other people’s security and well-being.
We are stuck in the modern version of Victorian era — so full of notions of own superiority, not realizing it is already corroded, debt-ridden, unsustainable. The KEY difference is at the time of WWI, there were too many weak empires, Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian, Russian Empire. And giants like India and China were under colonial control.
Today, having gone through social experimentation of communist structured states, China and Russia emerged strong, India is rising, and Turkey is finding its place within Eurasian world. The umbrella organization, As EU is floundering, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, links Eurasia within a new paradigm of economic development, infrastructure and security coordination.
For US, to adopt an attitude that is over a century behind times is perplexing.
Yes, and take a gander at the BS in the “Blue Arctic” US campaign, especially “potential to threaten U.S. interests and prosperity.”
strategy and amerika cannot be used in the same sentence except by an idiot US general…little B will operate in her bathtub, not in Russian arctic waters. when the US naval vessel recently entered Russian waters they scurried away when threatened by Russian destroyer
I would imagine the Russians have already planned for this and as the Russians are second to none in witer war fare the americans may have a nasty shock comming.
And what are those claims that justify taking military vessels along Russia’s shores? Along Kola peninsula?
This reminds me of a prescient movie called Hunter Killer that puts the clash of navies and a submarine warfare right at that spot. While movie is predictably depicting a noble submarine captain saving us from nuclear war -/ I do not think the reality will be this kind.
Cannot help but feel dread for the thousands of sailors being so mindlessly sent on fools errand, arrogant posturing, provoking calamity.
Be that Arctic or Pacific, Russian borders are well known, UNCLOS laws well known. What fools find it necessary to challenge them?
“ New US Navy Strategy Calls To Confront Russia And China In The Arctic”
There you go again
Going around the world looking for a fight
Well, that only works in the Summer months because the Navy has only one icebreaker. Russia has 30 or more and has year round activities.
GOOD!.. Way to tie down a substantial number of Imperial Navy assets that would ordinarily be harassing Iran or Venezuela.