The American Polar Pivot: Great-Power Competition at the Ends of the Earth
Ryan Burke and Jahara Matisek | December 3, 2019
The American Polar Pivot: Great-Power Competition at the Ends of the Earth
Editor’s note: In this article for Marine Corps University Journal, MWI Non-Resident Fellows Dr. Ryan Burke and Dr. Jahara Matisek identify weak US polar military capabilities relative to China and Russia and why an “American polar pivot†is needed in the Arctic and Antarctic to ensure US hegemony in the twenty-first century and beyond.
America is failing to compete in the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica. Russia and China turned their attention to the polar regions in 2007 and 2017, respectively, and followed through with strategic intent and resources. This strategic problem is not a new American phenomenon. In a US Naval War College lecture in 1948, Rear Adm. R.H. Cruzen contended that the United States should make “thoughtful consideration of the problems of polar warfare†and that “strategic thinking and our military and naval training†cannot be “confined to the tropic and temperate zones.†And yet, over seven decades after Rear Adm. Cruzen described the strategic importance of the polar regions, few resources have been dedicated toward building and sustaining American polar competitiveness, and the United States finds itself woefully behind militarily in the Arctic and Antarctic.
We contend that an “American polar pivot†can be made—through some increased investments in polar capabilities and minor changes in US Marine deployments and multinational exercises. Moreover, taking these steps would have a minimal impact on current US rebalancing efforts in Eastern Europe against Russia and in the Indo-Pacific region against China. If we accept the notion that American hegemony is based on the premise of defending the global commons, then the United States is seriously behind the power curve at the North and South Poles. For the United States to make serious strides—not just in policy memos like the 2019 DoD Arctic Strategy—political and military leadership must commit serious resources toward exploring the requirements of and preparing effectively for polar warfare.
https://mwi.usma.edu/american-polar-pivot-great-power-competition-ends-earth/
