Many countries are actively preparing for a possible military confrontation in the Arctic, including the United States, which has recently repeatedly rewritten its strategy in this region, writes the National Interest.
According to the author of the article, Chris Osborne, “no one wants to arrange shooting near polar bears and penguins” but the Pentagon is concerned about creating new strategic opportunities for several states due to the melting of the ice.
Recently, the US Marine Corps conducted a training exercise with the Norwegian military to improve operations in severe weather conditions. As the expert noted, the military alliance of Washington and Oslo in the Arctic means a lot to the Pentagon, which seeks to counteract the achievements of Moscow in this region, which today not only owns a large number of icebreakers but also works on the Northern Sea Route.
“Russia has built military bases in the Arctic, as well as conducted many training operations in the region, a series of maneuvers that provoked the United States to significantly increase activity in the Arctic to balance strategic influence,” the author noted. The opening of new waterways due to the high rate of ice melting in the region forced Washington to speed up work. In particular, the US Navy called on specialists to create weapons systems that are resistant to the harsh climate. The Office of Naval Research, in turn, has resorted to underwater drones to study the Arctic water column to better understand temperature fluctuations and their impact on military operations.
