Defense bill calls for military port on Arctic Ocean

[jpak]

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/06/24/Defense-bill-calls-for-military-port-on-Arctic-Ocean/3241561399214/

June 24 (UPI) -- The defense bill in the U.S. Congress specifies that a new strategic port in the Arctic Ocean must be identified and designated.

The action is meant to counter Russian advances in the Arctic, notably by its submarine fleet, as the ocean warms and becomes easier to navigate.

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act is expected to receive a vote in the Senate this week. It directs the Secretary of Defense to work with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration to submit a report to Congress evaluating potential sites for the port. The defense secretary must then designate, within 90 days, one or more of the choices as a "Department of Defense Strategic Arctic Port."

Russia has 7,000 miles of Arctic coast. It regards the region as an area in need of security, as well as a potential economic jackpot. Russian President Vladimir Putin estimated the Russian Arctic region's mineral wealth at $30 trillion. A Senate Armed Services Committee report to Congress said that the polar circle contains undiscovered oil and gas as well as an "abundance of uranium, rare earth minerals, gold, diamonds and millions of square miles of untapped resources."

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[VOX]

1. "The action is meant to counter Russian advances in the Arctic..."

But with 45 at the wheel, it’s more like building a loading dock for Vlad & Co.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. I thought we had small bases already up there in Alaska ... could be wrong but probably ...

wouldn't be a bad thing to expand them...

[jpak]

3. There's a decaying airstrip on Attu Island and a small DOD base on Shemya Island in the Aleutians

But no real Naval/Air bases on the coast of Alaska.

The Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas are extremely shallow and large ships cannot safely approach the US coastline.

On top of that, sea ice is a real Force of Nature and could easily overwhelm man-made ports - that would be wildly expensive to build.

Plus - we have no ice-reinforced naval vessels and only one (medium) Coast Guard ice-breaker assigned to the Arctic (Healy) - and it spends that winter in Washington State.

If the US wants to have a permanent naval presence in the Arctic - be prepared to spend some serious coin.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Thanks for the info.! Take care.

[Baclava]

6. There's large Air Force and Army bases in Alaska and a Coast Guard station on Kodiak

No Navy bases

[SWBTATTReg]

7. Ah...I used to subscribe to Alaska Magazine, haven't gotten in a while, thus not up to speed ...

on things in Alaska. My great aunt was a correspondent for the NYT back 30+ years or so in Steward, Alaska. I used to love her letters and photos that we regularly exchanged.

Thanks for the information and take care!

[bluedigger]

5. Maybe we should just expand our facilities in the Great Lakes area.

You know, just let the Arctic Ocean come to us.