Could the U.S. Win in the Arctic?
With continued thawing, the Arctic has the potential to be the site of the next “Cold War†between the United States and Russia. At present, it is a war the United States would lose.
By Lieutenant Commander Jeff Janaro, U.S. Coast Guard
Throughout history, the most powerful nations have been those that controlled the seas. Strategically, control of the sea lanes is critical because it allows a state to control the flow of munitions, equipment, soldiers, and food to battle zones. Roughly 97 percent of the goods used by U.S. troops overseas are exported from the United States.1 In addition, U.S. shipyards, munition factories, and many other defense-specific industries rely on the import of raw materials.
Control of the Arctic sea lanes will be important because ships transiting via northern routes could reduce transit times and avoid traditionally dangerous choke points. Traveling from China to Europe via the Arctic, for example, could save up to 12 days when compared to more traditional sea routes.2 Control of the Arctic sea lanes depends on several factors, perhaps none more important that the ability of sovereign vessels to physically navigate the region. In the Arctic, this task falls to Coast Guard icebreakers. But as Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a congressman intimately familiar with Arctic issues, has said, “The highways of the Arctic are paved by icebreakers. Russia has superhighways, and we have dirt roads with potholes.â€3
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019/july/could-us-win-arctic
