Rashi Mehta
Amid China-Russia joint military exercises in the region, Pentagon nudges the US to upgrade sensors and invest in the Arctic. A new Pentagon strategy states that the U.S. needs to increase investment in upgrading sensors, communications, and space-based technologies in the Arctic to keep up with China and Russia, who are expanding their activities there, including conducting joint military exercises.
The Arctic strategy lacks detailed specifics but advocates for increased spending on advanced sensor and radar systems, various military equipment, and ongoing investment in Pituffik Space Base, the U.S. Space Force installation in northwest Greenland. It also emphasizes strengthening partnerships with Canada and several NATO allies in the region.
How this is the “Critical time” for the Arctic
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks emphasized that this is “a critical time” for the Arctic. She explained that climate change, increased adversary activity, and degrading U.S. infrastructure are driving the department to rethink how to secure the Arctic and ensure troops are well-equipped and protected.
For over a decade, Defense Department leaders have urged the U.S. to increase its activities in the Arctic to better compete with China and Russia as climate change makes the region more accessible.
However, the remote northern area poses numerous challenges. The U.S. needs deep-water ports, climate-resistant weapons, drones and equipment, and additional ships capable of navigating cold waters and breaking through ice.
What the Arctic region Defense Secretary says on this issue
The U.S. faces challenges with Cold War-era Defense and State Department infrastructure deteriorating in the harsh Arctic weather and coastal erosion.
The unpredictable cold weather hampers military training and impacts equipment. Additionally, the region’s limited satellite coverage necessitates a much broader array of sensors for communication and military awareness.
“Slowly over time, there’s been a bit of a greater awakening in the department,” said Iris Ferguson, the deputy assistant defense secretary for the Arctic. “Now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of how you implement a strategy.”
How the security measures get affected as the Arctic melts
The Pentagon report notes that the Arctic is warming “more than three times faster than the rest of the world” and could see its first “practically ice-free summer” by 2030. This melting ice will increase traffic, raising the risks of accidents, miscalculations, and environmental damage.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks couldn’t quantify the increased activity by Russia and China but called their growing cooperation troubling. In 2022 and 2023, they conducted joint military exercises off the coast of Alaska.
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