U.S. Navy to flex muscles in Arctic: 'Opportunity for conflict is only rising'
By Carlo Muñoz - The Washington Times - Thursday, December 27, 2018
The U.S. Navy is preparing to take a page from its South China Sea strategy with plans to eventually carry out “freedom of navigation†missions through the Arctic as the geopolitical scramble for dominance heats up while long iced-in sea passages thaw.
Although the goal will be to send a clear signal to Russia and China that America is a force to be reckoned with in the race to control valuable territory at the top of the world, Pentagon leaders acknowledge that it could take years, and they stress that Washington has a lot of catching up to do.
Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said this month that the U.S. is in danger of falling behind, specifically against increasingly provocative moves by the Russian navy, in the scramble for control over what may be the globe’s last major unexploited region.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/27/us-navy-stage-arctic-freedom-navigation-operations/
