The U.S. military seeks new ways to expand its presence in Arctic waters.
A three-day Arctic Maritime Symposium in Anchorage brought together senior military officials, academics and civilian leaders to discuss what shifting geopolitics and a changing environment could mean for the nation’s military presence in Alaska.
Alaskan Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hosted the first time event.
Russia’s expanding presence in the region and interest in the Northern Sea Route is one of the main reasons U.S. wants a better understanding of the Arctic, said Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander for NORAD and defense assets throughout North America.
“We must keep in mind that for the Russians, the Arctic is their front yard, not their backyard,” O’Shaughnessy said during a speech to conference attendees.
O’Shaughnessy told the gathering that the U.S. military will continue to conduct large-scale joint exercises in the region, and will analyze whether to increase resources for early warning and detection systems.
Navy or Coast Guard want to learn more about how their vessels work in the Arctic, Alaskan Command’s Col. Mark Schmidt told a small group of reporters in front of a large naval destroyer docked at the Port of Anchorage last week during the symposium,
“Right now, we know that the environment is changing, and what that means to us we don’t know,” Schmidt said as fighter jets intermittently roared overhead. “We want to understand and get after what capabilities and requirements are needed in this changing environment.”
