"They can only frighten Russia": how Washington intends to defend its interests in the Arctic

The US Coast Guard published the first for 6 years “Arctic Strategy”, in which it paid special attention to the protection of the national sovereignty of the United States and the American leadership in this region. The command of the only type of US military that does not submit to the Pentagon, states that in the Arctic, Washington is primarily confronted with challenges from Russia and China. The functions of the US Coast Guard include the protection of the maritime borders of the state, including in the polar regions.

Russian-Chinese challenge

The new “Arctic strategy”, signed by the US Coast Guard commander Admiral Karl Schulz, stresses that since 2013, when the department’s doctrinal documents regarding the Arctic Ocean last updated, many things have changed. The transformation of the state of the environment, in particular, the melting of the Arctic ice, coincided with the resumption of competition of the great powers, which, in the opinion of the Americans, turned the polar regions into "a space of strategic rivalry for the first time since the end of the Cold War."

“Two powers that are almost equal to America — Russia and China — have declared this region a national priority and invested funds in appropriate ways in developing the capacity to expand their influence within it,” the Arctic Strategy underlines. “Due to the fact that Russia and China all over the world constantly question the international order based on rules, there are fears that they will similarly hamper the preservation of peaceful stability in the Arctic.”

China, although not an Arctic power, has shown great interest in the region, having received observer status in the Arctic Council in 2013. In March of this year in Beijing, they announced the start of construction of the first atomic icebreaker, which has no analogues in the United States. On April 19, Russia's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China Andrei Denisov noted that in the future Russia and China could begin the joint development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR).

• Chinese icebreaker '' Xuelong '' during the Arctic expedition in August 2015
• globallookpress.com
• © x99

The United States Coast Guard also states that China may obstruct American freedom of navigation in the Arctic, as is allegedly happening in the South China Sea. Russia in Washington is accused of striving to “use its power to coerce other countries around the world, thus seeking to expand its own sphere of influence.”

“In addition, the Russian leadership continues to expand its already largest icebreaking fleet in the world, as well as restoring and building up other components of its potential and infrastructure in the Arctic, such as air bases, ports, armaments, troops stationed in the region, and means of obtaining data on the maritime situation, resources for search and rescue, commercial hubs and floating nuclear power plants, the new Arctic Strategy says. “The United States, as a strategic competitor of Russia, must carefully evaluate its actions, as well as the possibility that it will use its potential not only for civilian but also for military purposes.”

In general, the review of the polar strategy of the United States Coast Guard emphasizes that “by their actions, strategic competitors will test the long-established norms that make the Arctic a peaceful region with a low level of tension”.

"Institutions that help prevent conflicts in the Arctic will face new challenges that require the US to actively and purposefully fulfill its leadership role," the document says.

Long-standing claims

The Washington Post notes that the new Arctic strategy of the US Coast Guard appeared two months before the proposed release of a similar Pentagon document. In it, as suggested by the American media, will also be talking about the confrontation between Russia and China.

In January, during a meeting with his Icelandic counterpart, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Moscow and Beijing are striving for "domination and control" over the region. In February, the commander of the US Navy in Europe and Africa, Admiral James Foggo, argued that Washington would not allow Russia and China to dominate the Arctic region.

• US Marine Corps fighters during the Trident Juncture 2018 exercise, in Norway
• AFP
• © Jonathan Nackstrand

Last October, NATO conducted the largest exercises in the Arctic in several years. 50,000 troops from 31 countries participated in the Trident Juncture maneuvers in Norway.

In January, US Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer announced plans to send American warships to the Arctic in the summer and plans to re-launch the Adak base in Alaska. In his future expedition, he said, the Coast Guard forces could also take part.

It is noted that we are talking about the operation to ensure freedom of navigation (FONOP). It is under this pretext that American ships regularly appear near the islands controlled by the PRC in the South China Sea.

As Vladimir Shtol, a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, said in an interview with RT, Russia operates in the Arctic, “based on its own national interests,” which the Americans do not like.

In turn, Grigory Dobromelov, director of the Institute for Applied Political Studies, said in a conversation with RT that the United States is seeking to present Russia in all areas as a threat to global security, “the Arctic is not an exception.”

Strategic zone

To demonstrate the importance of the Arctic to the United States, a number of figures are cited in the new Coast Guard strategy: 1 million square meters. miles - the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone in the seas of the Arctic Ocean, claimed by the United States, 90 billion barrels - the region’s probable oil reserves, 30% - the share of the estimated and not yet explored Arctic natural gas reserves, $ 1 trillion - the Arctic zone, 10 million tons - the cargo that was transported in 2017 along the Northern Sea Route. 40% of the ships moving along the Northern Sea Route, according to the US Coast Guard, were sent to Chinese ports or carried cargo from China.

• Icebreaker "Admiral Makarov" in the Bosphorus East during the departure of the flight to ensure summer navigation on the route of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the eastern Arctic
• RIA News
• © Vitaliy Ankov

It is emphasized that the transit of commercial cargo along the Northern Sea Route is growing, particularly noted Russia's efforts to develop this sea route and the development of the Yamal LNG project, in which European and Chinese investors are participating. However, it is noted that the development of the Northern Sea Route depends on the conditions in the border between Russia and the United States of the Bering Strait, where in peacetime clashes between ships or landing on the ground are possible.

And “during a conflict,” the strait will turn into a strategically important point, much will depend on the possibility of passage, stress it in the American security agency. In addition, the Coast Guard is in favor of developing its own US infrastructure in the Arctic, necessary to maintain “trade and military mobility.”

However, as noted by Grigory Dobromelov, now Washington “has no resources not only to contain Russia” in the region, but also for a comparable pace of development of the Arctic.

“The US understands that they can only frighten Russia,” the expert notes. “They have neither icebreaking fleet, nor the necessary scientific and research base for work in the Arctic.”

The lag of the other Arctic powers, including Russia, is also mentioned in the new document of the Coast Guard.

“Over the past 15 years, US strategic competitors have invested heavily in resources, infrastructure, and relationships consistent with their goals in the Arctic. Some of these projects are aimed at weakening the influence of the United States and undermining the principle of the rule of law. The United States’s investment over the same period was relatively modest, resulting in a shortage of strategic resources that jeopardized the ability of the United States to effectively maintain its sovereignty, as well as the Coast Guard’s ability to offset the risks associated with the intensification of people’s activities in the Arctic, in the "Strategy".

The course for modernization

At the same time, the agency notes that it is the US Coast Guard that is “the only structure in the country that supplies and operates a fleet capable of performing tasks in polar conditions.”

To gallery page

If Russia has dozens of icebreakers, then the United States has only two non-nuclear vessels of this type on the move: the USCG Polar Star and the USCGC Healy are both on the Coast Guard balance sheet.

“At the moment, this fleet does not have the necessary capabilities to ensure access to high latitudes,” the US Coast Guard acknowledges.

To solve the stated problems, it is proposed to increase investment in the construction of the icebreaker fleet, aviation, which can operate in the Arctic, unmanned or robotic complexes, communication systems. Also, according to Washington, it is necessary to interact more closely with other security agencies and American allies in the region.

According to Vladimir Shtol, the strengthening of the US military potential in the Arctic is a threat.

“The militarization of any region leads to an increase in“ explosion risk ”and to potential military conflicts,” Stol notes.

In turn, Russia traditionally opposes an arms race in the polar regions. Thus, in a message to the participants and guests of the 5th International Arctic Forum "The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue", Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the Arctic to become "the territory of the world." But, as experts note, adhering to this position, Moscow still prefers “to keep the powder dry.”

“Russia is taking adequate retaliatory measures to strengthen its position in the Arctic, including in the military sector,” said Shtol.

In turn, Grigory Dobromelov notes that "the US has the opportunity to strengthen its military presence in the polar regions, but not enough scientific groundwork to provide itself with ice-class vessels, without which there is nothing to do in the Arctic."

In general, according to the expert, "it is extremely important that Russia does not slow down its scientific and innovative development in the Arctic, because it is the technological advantage that will determine who can dominate this region in the future."