{"id":1479260,"date":"2024-07-24T23:40:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T03:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/?p=1479260"},"modified":"2024-07-24T23:40:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T03:40:00","slug":"pentagons-new-arctic-strategy-aims-to-counter-china-russia-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/pentagons-new-arctic-strategy-aims-to-counter-china-russia-partnership\/1479260\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon’s New Arctic Strategy Aims To Counter China\u2013Russia Partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pentagon’s New Arctic Strategy Aims To Counter China\u2013Russia Partnership<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times<\/a> (emphasis ours),<\/em><\/p>\n

Pentagon leadership is unveiling its latest strategy for the Arctic region as competition for geopolitical advantage heats up with China and Russia.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Russian “50 Years of Victory” nuclear-powered icebreaker is seen at the North Pole on Aug. 18, 2021. (Ekaterina Anisimova\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The strategy takes aim at the increasing militarization of the region by Beijing and Moscow amid an expanding race for natural resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Arctic is strategically vital to U.S. security<\/strong>,\u201d Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks told reporters during a July 22 briefing.<\/p>\n

Ms. Hicks added that it\u2019s imperative to national security that the United States ensure the Arctic \u201cremains a secure and stable region\u201d in the face of increasing aggression by the Chinese regime and Russia throughout the world.<\/p>\n

The strategy directs the U.S. military to adopt a \u201cmonitor and respond approach\u201d while \u201cexercising [a] calibrated presence\u201d in the region by coordinating with Arctic allies on issues pertaining to strategy, training, and equipment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms. Hicks described the strategy as part of a \u201cwhole of government\u201d effort to round out U.S. deterrence and readiness in the Arctic through regular training and exercises with allies, as well as investments in new systems, space capabilities, and cold weather gear.<\/p>\n

Among the efforts outlined is a directive to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command, through which the United States and Canada respond to emergent threats in North American airspace.<\/p>\n

The strategy is the Pentagon\u2019s first since 2019 and follows the Biden administration\u2019s National Arctic Strategy<\/a> unveiled in 2022. It further outlines the U.S. objective to maintain an Arctic that is \u201cpeaceful, stable, prosperous, and cooperative,\u201d while confronting communist China\u2019s \u201cpacing challenge\u201d in the region.<\/p>\n

The Arctic houses vast reserves of natural resources, including oil, natural gas, rare earth metals, diamonds, and pristine fishing grounds.\u00a0For the last decade, the Chinese regime has increased its efforts to\u00a0project power<\/a> into the region, in part to seize those resources for itself.<\/p>\n

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, declared China a \u201cnear-Arctic state<\/a>\u201d in 2012, <\/strong>although its nearest territory is some 900 miles away.<\/p>\n

The Chinese regime has more than doubled its investment into Arctic projects since then and is focused on pursuing mineral extraction and scientific engagements, which could help to improve its military capabilities.<\/p>\n

China also is attempting to build out a new economic corridor through the region. The so-called Polar Silk Road would link Asia and Europe by traversing the opening waterways of the Arctic along Russia\u2019s northern coast rather than going through the more densely patrolled Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n

The subsequent flow of commercial, scientific, and military vessels into the region has increased, altering a geographic and strategic reality that had long seen little disturbance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen an uptick in their [China and Russia\u2019s] cooperation over the last several years,\u201d Deputy Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience Iris Ferguson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also seen military exercises … off the coast of Alaska<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks addresses the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington on July 9, 2024. (Drew Angerer\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Ms. Hicks described China and Russia\u2019s continued strategic cooperation as \u201cconcerning\u201d and said it\u2019s likely China\u2019s scientific research in the Arctic that would have military applications.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always have concerns that there\u2019s a military aspect to that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is imperative that the joint force is equipped and trained with what they need to succeed in the Arctic.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

As such, Ms. Hicks said that the United States is investing in cold weather equipment just as it had previously invested in specialized gear for deployments in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Foremost among those investments is the development and deployment of polar icebreaker ships, which are required to break through the softening ice of Arctic trade routes in the summer months.<\/p>\n

At present, the United States has just two diesel icebreakers, both of which are nearing the end of their life. Likewise, U.S. ally Finland maintains 12, and Canada maintains nine.<\/p>\n

Russia, meanwhile, boasts some 30 diesel-powered and seven nuclear-powered icebreakers.<\/p>\n

The White House announced<\/a> earlier this month that the United States would work with Canada and Finland to jointly build up their icebreaker fleets as they look to bolster their defenses in the Arctic.<\/p>\n

The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) will facilitate collaboration in producing polar icebreakers and enhance information sharing on related issues. It also will allow workers and experts from each country to train in shipyards across all three.<\/p>\n

Ms. Hicks described the ICE Pact as \u201cyet another example of the type of cooperation that we can leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about making sure we\u2019re ready to execute missions there<\/strong>,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Likewise, Ms. Ferguson said, \u201cThis is the type of cooperation we should be leaning into more.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span>
\nWed, 07\/24\/2024 – 19:40<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200bhttps:\/\/www.zerohedge.com\/political\/pentagons-new-arctic-strategy-aims-counter-china-russia-partnership<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pentagon’s New Arctic Strategy Aims To Counter China\u2013Russia Partnership Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Pentagon leadership is unveiling its latest…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1479261,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1479260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1479260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1479260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1479260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1479261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1479260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1479260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1479260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}