Beyond Icebreakers: The United States Needs a Bold New Approach to Arctic Security Equipping in an Era of Strategic Competition
Jeremy M. McKenzie | 08.07.25
What does a $1,000 Ukrainian drone have to do with a Russian strategic aircraft worth hundreds of millions? The former can destroy the latter—and that asymmetry requires defense planners to think differently. Recent Ukrainian and Israeli strikes have shown that expensive, high-value assets are increasingly vulnerable to cheap, distributed threats. The threat is not just from drones, however; a similar dynamic is on display as Chinese DF-21 and DF-26 and Russian 3M54 Kalibr missiles pose increasing risks to US surface combatants. Yet, as strategic rivalry increasingly heats up in the high latitudes, the US Arctic strategy still hinges on a troubled program to produce a handful of costly, vulnerable, and delayed Polar and Arctic Security Cutters (PSCs and ASCs). That is a strategic liability.
The United States must reassess its Arctic strategy and defense acquisitions model, shifting from costly, vulnerable systems to a distributed, resilient, and NATO-integrated force. A credible strategy demands not only deeper NATO integration but also a new acquisition model that prioritizes modularity, mobility, survivability, affordability, and interoperability. These elements are essential to confronting asymmetric threats in the High North while deterring China and Russia across multiple theaters.
The Arctic in Strategic Context: An Ancillary but Critical Theater
The strategic importance of the Arctic is readily apparent when viewing a globe from the top—where the United States and Russia become neighbors, and Greenland’s strategic value becomes unmistakable. The Arctic, once locked in permanent pack ice, is suddenly much more accessible due to climate change. Thus, the fabled Arctic sea routes are becoming increasingly realistic, reducing transit times by as much as a third. Likewise, the Arctic holds many potential riches including an estimated $1 trillion in minerals, 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered gas reserves, and 13 percent of its undiscovered oil reserves. Recent headlines have discussed the Norwegian king’s visit to Svalbard, President Trump’s proposal to annex Greenland, and joint Chinese and Russian air and naval patrols to the region.
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/beyond-icebreakers-the-united-states-needs-a-bold-new-approach-to-arctic-security-equipping-in-an-era-of-strategic-competition/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20must%20reassess%20its%20Arctic%20strategy,systems%20to%20a%20distributed%2C%20resilient%2C%20and%20NATO-integrated%20force.
