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The Space Race, the Arms Race, the Cyber Race, the AI Race, the Electronic Warfare Race, The Robotics Race, the Espionage Race, the Arctic Race…in the race to be #1 and as a world “Superpower,” these are important theaters of operations. They matter…they’re closer to us than space and the moon and are all vital to America’s interests and National Security.
The Arctic (and Antarctic) is more than just military assets, obviously. The US need to access them for Freedom of Navigation and for ground and naval forces to be able to mobilize and deploy. Just having a few Stryker vehicles and paratroopers with light arms isn’t so much a stabilizing or repelling force against a determined foe that comes in mass. Submarines can only bring so much men and material to the Arctic as one would need surface ships to be able to deploy and set up camp and substantial ground forces---that is “Boots on the ground.” A surfaced submarine can’t deploy enough soldiers, period, and no armor at all.
New icebreakers are vitally important for search and rescue, law enforcement, inspections, and navigation. While both Russia and the USA remain cordial in helping each other in the Arctic, we can’t always count on our Russian friends to loan icebreakers if say whales get trapped by ice for example. America needs its own assets and resources.
Usually when there are ships of interest transiting near our borders, we provide armed and monitoring escort. To not do so, to not pay attention to them, to not announce our presence seems too insensitive and uncaring to our northern neighbors and to Alaska.
It is vitally important for the USA to maintain an Arctic presence, in the form of building and buying new icebreakers, in order for the appropriate US ground and naval forces to deploy to protect Alaska and our Arctic interests.
How about total hysteria.
Chris Chuba at 8:50 AMThe arctic is Russia's Gulf of Mexico. Their northern border occupies 45% of the arctic circle vs. 8% for us, they have legitimate commercial interests. I know, it is our God given right to have military superiority beyond 13 nautical miles off of every coastline and we have money to burn. It's not like we can spend money anywhere else like having 911 able to locate the origin of cell phone calls nationally, nope, people are still going to die in the U.S. because of that.