Arctic / Polar matters (merged thread)

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06-22-2008
Adam L

Arctic / Polar matters (merged thread)

Quote:

The real cost of such an approach would be a national independence that would literally degenerate into legal fiction.

In my opinion, the greatest threat to Canada's sovereignty is its inability to patrol and/or guard its northern territorial claims. With ice receding up north, everyone (especially Russia) has been trying to lay claims to the Arctic seabed. Canada has been unable to perform underwater surveys due to its lack of a powerful icebreaker. Russia has made several expeditions with one of their icebreaker (nuclear powered if I recall) to do so. I know this is a tad off topic, but I feel that it is very related to this issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuchs

Norfolk; there's next to no likeliness of an invasion of Canada.
I understand very well that/if the nation isn't much interested in the military.

I would only care about the efficiency, not the amount of spending.
Small armies often work pretty well - inventories like 2 Hercules planes work well in small nations even while large nations assert that inventories below a couple dozen or hundred aircraft of a single type would be ineffective.

Although Canada is a "small" country as far as population is concerned, I would think they have many of the logistical issues of a much larger nation due to the shear size of the country. Norfolk, can you give some insight on this?

Adam L
06-23-2008
Norfolk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam L

In my opinion, the greatest threat to Canada's sovereignty is its inability to patrol and/or guard its northern territorial claims. With ice receding up north, everyone (especially Russia) has been trying to lay claims to the Arctic seabed. Canada has been unable to perform underwater surveys due to its lack of a powerful icebreaker. Russia has made several expeditions with one of their icebreaker (nuclear powered if I recall) to do so. I know this is a tad off topic, but I feel that it is very related to this issue.

Although Canada is a "small" country as far as population is concerned, I would think they have many of the logistical issues of a much larger nation due to the shear size of the country. Norfolk, can you give some insight on this?

Adam L

Hello Adam,

Perhaps even more so than the U.S., in its own way Canada is dependent upon Airpower for its strategic defence and operational mobility. The recent acquisition of C-17s was a step in the right direction, but 4 were not remotely enough; the planned acquisition of 17 C-130Js is nice, but given the choice between having a full squadron of a dozen+ C-17s on one hand, or the planned force of 4 C-17s and 17 C-130Js, the former would be better. Canada requires strategic airflift just for its own defence, whether that's airlifting and sustaining a Battalion to deal with an enemy lodgement in the High Arctic or along one of the Ocean Coasts, or doing the same with a Battle Group on the other side of the world. It is practically inconceivable that anything larger than a Regiment/Brigade airlift would ever have to be mounted, not least, obviously, because any enemy would find it difficult or impossible to mount and sustain anything larger than a Battalion-level operation. For tactical operations, something akin to the good old DHC Caribou STOL transports would do; they were originally designed to provide Divisional-Level supply and transport in nuclear war conditions, but unfortunately there has been no replacement. Obviously, Air Superiority is critical to enable any of this.

As to Canada's territorial water claims in the Arctic and especially the North-West Passage, they are misconceived. They are not generally recognized internationally, and of course do not in any way meet the 12-mile limit under International Law. As to the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone that International Law provides for, that's a legitimate claim Canada can hold on to. But to enforce in practice would require a modest, but noticeable militarization of the Arctic, particularly along the NorthWest Passage. In general terms, think a few AIP subs, a Fighter Squadron, and a reinforced Infantry Battalion/Battle Group either in the region or able to get there, intact and sustainable, fiarly rapidly.

---------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps it would do to address Marc's question of what are Canada's defence obligations, requirements, and resources. In another thread, Marc mentioned that Canada required forces of very high quality, and it should go without saying that he is entirely correct. The problem is that the disparity between political will and willingess to allocate resources on the one hand, and international obligations and military requirements on the other is vast, to say the least.

At the end of WWII, the General Staff determined that the Army required 6 Infantry Divisions (1 Regular Army, 5 Reserve Army) and 2 Armoured Brigades (both Reserve Army) for the defence of Canada. The Navy Staff determined that it required 2 Aircraft Carriers along with Escorts and the like (one on each Coast), and the Air Staff determined a requirement for something like 600 Fighter aircraft (IIRC, my memory is hazy here).

They actually got an Army of 3 Infantry Battalions, 2 Armoured Regiments (Battalions), and a Regiment (Battalion) or equivalent each of Artillery, Field Engineers, and IIRC (again memory hazy) an AA Regiment, plus an SAS Company. The Navy got 1 Aircraft Carrier - plus Escorts on both coasts, and the Air Force received something like a handful of the Fighter Squadrons it was looking for. That's probably about what Canada can afford now, if it had the will do do so, though a CV or LHD is probably beyond the country's will and resources. AIP Subs and Coastal Patrol/ASW aircraft are best for coastal defence, leaving surface ships to Expeditionary and Convoy operations.

As to requirements, that's a different story. Canada is most unlikely to ever commit a force much larger than either a Battalion, Frigate Squadron, Fighter Squadron, some Logistics and Ancillary elements, or a full-fledged Battle Group or Joint Task Force. In this sense, we still possess the traditional Imperial mentality of "A Battalion, a Battery, and a Frigate". Think up to an MEU for all practical purposes. Except if a general war breaks out, then nothing short of entire Divisions, Naval Battle Groups, and Air Divisions will do. Canada attempted something like this on the cheap in the 1950's, and gave it up by the mid-1960's. Not politically sustainable then, and certainly not now.

But as to "quality" and training, that's harder now; the Human Rights Commission in the early 90's imposed requirements upon the Armed Forces that were prejudical to training, order, and good discipline, to put it mildly. The Armed Forces have tried to work around this, in some cases with quite some success. But the albatross is still there. Without the ability to demand and enforce the highest standards of selection, leadership, training, and discipline, a "small but high-quality force" is more of a wish than an achievable objective. When Infantrymen, as an example, are required every 90 days (at least) to perform the 2x10 (marching 10 miles within 2 hours with full kit, on back-to-back days), one day immediately crossing an Assault Course after the 10-miler before directly proceeding on to a Live-Fire Section Attack with no rest; and the other day peforming a Casualty-Carry immediately after the 10-miler, and then proceeding directly without rest to a Live Shoot out to 300-400m where each must achieve a Marksman's rating, then a "small, high-quality force" is practically achievable. The basics must be strictly enforced, otherwise the "small, high-quality force" is rather less than it appears on paper.
03-30-2009
AdamG

Canada & Russia are neighbours

Two recent articles that'll probably be fodder for a new Stephen Coonts novel. Anyone remember the old Cold War rumors of Spetsnaz vacations in Alaska?

Canada says will defend its Arctic
Mar 27 12:41 PM US/Eastern
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1

The Canadian government on Friday reaffirmed its Arctic claims, saying it will defend its northern territories and waters after Russia earlier announced plans to militarize the North.

"Canada is an Arctic power," Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, said in an email to AFP.

"The government is engaged in protecting the security of Canada and in exercising its sovereignty in the North, including Canadian waters," she said.

Loubier pointed to the planned acquisition of Arctic patrol vessels, construction of a deep water port and eavesdropping network in the region, annual military exercises and boosting the number Inuit Arctic rangers keeping on eye on goings-on along its northern frontier.

Earlier, Russia announced plans to turn the Arctic into its "leading strategic resource base" by 2020 and station troops there, documents showed, as nations race to stake a claim to the oil-rich region.

The country's strategy for the Arctic through 2020 -- adopted last year and now published on the national security council website -- says one of Russia's main goals for the region is to put troops in its Arctic zone "capable of ensuring military security."
01-11-2010
Xivvx

Arctic

Seem the discussion has gotten onto the SOF side of things, but I'd like to talk about Arctic security for a moment. Currently our Navy has plans to produce "Arctic Patrol Vessels" for sovereignty missions up north. These vessels would be ice hardened and capable of winter missions, based out of ports like Nannook and Nanisivik they would be fairly lightly armed but capable of conducting fisheries patrols and "NorPloy's" currently performed by the CG. As it stands now, a Frigate usually goes up there each summer to show the flag, but it’s seen by the Navy as more of a training opportunity in ice navigation rather than real "presence patrolling" to borrow a term from the army.

Its not clear if the reg force will be the primary sailors (hardship posting anyone?) or if the reserves will be employed for crew on these ships yet, but given the Navy's problems with manning and operational tempo I don't see how this new commitment can be properly met. I know the bosses I've had haven't been able to give me a satisfactory answer regarding this, which doesn't speak well for the plan.
07-01-2011
AdamG

Wrestling for Artic resources, Russian style

This could get interesting.

Quote:

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's defense minister says the military will deploy two army brigades to help protect the nation's interests in the Arctic.

*

Serdyukov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Friday the brigades could be based in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk or other areas.

Russia, the U.S., Canada, Denmark and Norway have been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia "remains open for dialogue" with its polar neighbors, but will "strongly and persistently" defend its interests in the region.

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-deploy-...123709564.html

Hmmm. From 2010

Quote:

Russia will not create an Arctic military force irrespective of any territorial disputes that may develop in the energy-rich region, said the Russian envoy to the eight-nation Arctic Council.

“Forming special Arctic troops is not on the Russian agenda,” Anton Vasilyev told a news conference on Monday. “But we did indeed plan to strengthen the materiel of the forces responsible for security, primarily in ensuring the safety of navigation at sea.”

http://rt.com/news/arctic-russia-no-militarisation/

From 2009

Quote:

Russia signalled its determination to win the race for the Arctic's mineral wealth yesterday by announcing plans to establish military bases along its northern coastline.

A new national security strategy includes plans to create army units in Russia's Arctic region to “guarantee military security in different military-political situations”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5989257.ece

A Backgrounder

Quote:

Rising tensions

While the Antarctic is a non-militarised scientific and nature reserve, the Arctic includes the territory and inhabitants of eight states. Of the five states fronting the Arctic Ocean, Russia has by far the largest coastline, more than 17,500 kilometres long, and the largest Arctic population. As much as 20% of Russian GDP derives from north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Ocean and its shores are by no means the highly militarised zone of confrontation they were during the Cold War, but climate change, proceeding at a much higher rate in the Arctic than in the rest of the world, and the retreating ice cap, are giving it a new strategic importance. The region is now economically as well as militarily significant. In 2009 the US Geological Survey estimated that this area, where some maritime boundaries remain at issue among the coastal states, contains some 30% of the world’s undiscovered natural gas and about 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil, mainly offshore under less than 500 metres of water. The undiscovered natural gas is mainly concentrated in Russia. These estimates suggest that Russia is likely to end up with the largest share of Arctic resource wealth and that its strategic control of natural-gas resources is likely to be strengthened in the future.

http://www.iiss.org/publications/sur...tic-stability/

See also
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/land-te.../index-eng.asp
and
http://www.usarak.army.mil/alaskapos...r18Story11.asp
07-01-2011
AdamG

Wrestling for Artic resources, Russian style

This could get interesting.

Quote:

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's defense minister says the military will deploy two army brigades to help protect the nation's interests in the Arctic.

*

Serdyukov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Friday the brigades could be based in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk or other areas.

Russia, the U.S., Canada, Denmark and Norway have been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia "remains open for dialogue" with its polar neighbors, but will "strongly and persistently" defend its interests in the region.

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-deploy-...123709564.html

Hmmm. From 2010

Quote:

Russia will not create an Arctic military force irrespective of any territorial disputes that may develop in the energy-rich region, said the Russian envoy to the eight-nation Arctic Council.

“Forming special Arctic troops is not on the Russian agenda,” Anton Vasilyev told a news conference on Monday. “But we did indeed plan to strengthen the materiel of the forces responsible for security, primarily in ensuring the safety of navigation at sea.”

http://rt.com/news/arctic-russia-no-militarisation/

From 2009

Quote:

Russia signalled its determination to win the race for the Arctic's mineral wealth yesterday by announcing plans to establish military bases along its northern coastline.

A new national security strategy includes plans to create army units in Russia's Arctic region to “guarantee military security in different military-political situations”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle5989257.ece

A Backgrounder

Quote:

Rising tensions

While the Antarctic is a non-militarised scientific and nature reserve, the Arctic includes the territory and inhabitants of eight states. Of the five states fronting the Arctic Ocean, Russia has by far the largest coastline, more than 17,500 kilometres long, and the largest Arctic population. As much as 20% of Russian GDP derives from north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Ocean and its shores are by no means the highly militarised zone of confrontation they were during the Cold War, but climate change, proceeding at a much higher rate in the Arctic than in the rest of the world, and the retreating ice cap, are giving it a new strategic importance. The region is now economically as well as militarily significant. In 2009 the US Geological Survey estimated that this area, where some maritime boundaries remain at issue among the coastal states, contains some 30% of the world’s undiscovered natural gas and about 13% of the world’s undiscovered oil, mainly offshore under less than 500 metres of water. The undiscovered natural gas is mainly concentrated in Russia. These estimates suggest that Russia is likely to end up with the largest share of Arctic resource wealth and that its strategic control of natural-gas resources is likely to be strengthened in the future.

http://www.iiss.org/publications/sur...tic-stability/

See also
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/land-te.../index-eng.asp
and
http://www.usarak.army.mil/alaskapos...r18Story11.asp
07-07-2011
AdamG

US and Russia stir up political tensions over Arctic

Quote:

Heavy-hitting US politicians enter debate about the future of the far north, fuelling concerns about a new cold war

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...ensions-arctic

Quote:

US, Canada, Russia, Denmark and Norway are becoming embroiled in disputes over boundaries on land and at sea

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...torial-dispute
07-07-2011
AdamG

US and Russia stir up political tensions over Arctic

Quote:

Heavy-hitting US politicians enter debate about the future of the far north, fuelling concerns about a new cold war

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...ensions-arctic

Quote:

US, Canada, Russia, Denmark and Norway are becoming embroiled in disputes over boundaries on land and at sea

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...torial-dispute
07-17-2011
AdamG

Quote:

Tension is building in the Arctic, where countries are vying for valuable natural resources
More oil, natural gas and mineral deposits can be accessed now because of climate change
There have been territorial disputes over the underwater land where these deposits rest
The Arctic is now seeing naval and military activities it hasn't seen since the Cold War

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americ...ars/index.html
07-17-2011
AdamG

Quote:

Tension is building in the Arctic, where countries are vying for valuable natural resources
More oil, natural gas and mineral deposits can be accessed now because of climate change
There have been territorial disputes over the underwater land where these deposits rest
The Arctic is now seeing naval and military activities it hasn't seen since the Cold War

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americ...ars/index.html
09-24-2011
AdamG

Quote:

Russia will order three nuclear and six diesel icebreakers by 2020 to allow passage along its Northern Sea Route as the country seeks to tap Arctic oil and gas reserves, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.

Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/busine...#ixzz1YuIes3Ez
The Moscow Times

Quote:

Moscow - Russia will increase its military presence in the Arctic - a region NATO should stay out of, a senior Kremlin official said Tuesday.
'Our northern border used to be closed because of ice and a severe climate,' said Anton Vasilev, a special ambassador for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
'But the ice is going away we cannot leave 20,000 kilometres unwatched. We can't leave ourselves in a position where we are undefended,' Vasilev said, in an interview with the Interfax news agency.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/ne...EU-to-stay-out
12-06-2012
Surferbeetle

LNG Ship - Norway to Japan via the Arctic

LNG Transport Ship Ob River (Dynagas LTD - Greece)

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Co...otoblog900.jpg

Gas tanker Ob River attempts first winter Arctic crossing, By Matt McGrath, 25 November 2012 Last updated at 19:35 ET, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20454757

Quote:

A large tanker carrying liquified natural gas (LNG) is set to become the first ship of its type to sail across the Arctic.

Quote:

Built in 2007 with a strengthened hull, the Ob River can carry up to 150,000 cubic metres of gas. The tanker was loaded with LNG at Hammerfest in the north of Norway on 7 November and set sail across the Barents Sea. It has been accompanied by a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker for much of its voyage.

Quote:

"Nineteen thousand ships went through the Suez canal last year; around 40 went through the northern sea route. There's a huge difference."
02-17-2013
Rick M

1 Attachment(s)

Arctic ice loss (new graph)

Arctic ice shrinks to its annual minimum in (early) September and usually maxes out in April.
This graph uses one colour for each month, then graphs the monthly averages by year (based on PIOMAS data). The resulting image makes it look as if we're painting ourselves into a corner/bulls-eye.

Original posting is here:
http://neven1.typepad.com/blog/2013/...loss.html#more
02-18-2013
bourbon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick M

Arctic ice shrinks to its annual minimum in (early) September and usually maxes out in April.
This graph uses one colour for each month, then graphs the monthly averages by year (based on PIOMAS data). The resulting image makes it look as if we're painting ourselves into a corner/bulls-eye.

FSB Border Guard is looking to stand up 20 posts in the arctic. All I know is that they will be the most degenerate outposts in Russia – which is saying something.

Upgrades to the Northern Fleet seem to be mechanism to (further) enrich Vladimir Vladimirovich's Peterersburg cronies more than anything else.

Rosneft signed another arctic agreement with Exxon this week.
09-06-2013
AdamG

Quote:

On Monday, Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev said Russia is planning to build a string of new naval bases in the Arctic. The bases are intended to be “key double-purpose sites” for warships “in remote areas of the Arctic Seas.” There’s no word on what those double purposes might be. Russia’s plans to create a “combined-arms force” for the Arctic is also still on track, according to Moscow-based news wire RIA Novosti.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/08/arctic/
11-23-2013
SWJ Blog

As Arctic Ice Melts, US Military Adapting Strategy, Forces

As Arctic Ice Melts, US Military Adapting Strategy, Forces

Entry Excerpt:

--------
Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
12-09-2013
AdamG

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tukhachevskii

Is it just me or does anyone else think SWC has real potential as an OSINT site?

Inconceivable!

Quote:

Earlier in October, Putin stated strongly that Russia would never “surrender” its Arctic area. Indeed, Temp airfield located on Kotelny Island, the largest of Russian islands in Novosiberian region, is being reactivated.

The airfield has been operational beginning in 1949 then, 20 years ago, its activity was suspended, and the infrastructures preserved for future use. Since then, Russian policy towards Arctic has become more aggressive and one of the elements of that policy is to reinstate the aforementioned airfield for Russian Air Force planes.

In 2012, a helicopter crash occured during a Russian specialists’ visit to the island. Nobody died, but the mishap halted the reactivation activities. This year people and equipment were delivered by sea. Back in September an expedition included 150 people, 40 machines and vehicles.

http://theaviationist.com/2013/12/08...a-arctic-base/

So who plays Patrick MCGoohan's role?

Quote:

MOSCOW, December 2 (RIA Novosti) – Russian naval forces are set to make the Arctic a priority region, boosting combat training and scouting lesser-known areas of the icy territory in 2014, a navy spokesman said Monday.

The Northern Fleet will conduct sailing and diving expeditions in the Arctic and develop a series of ice-class patrol ships to protect the country’s interest in the region, said Vadim Serga, a captain First Class and spokesman for the fleet’s Western Military District.

Russia has already begun deploying aerospace defense units and constructing an early missile warning radar system near the far northern town of Vorkuta. Completion of that system is planned for 2018.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131202/185...y-in-2014.html

...and from five hours ago, usual provocative Squadron operations are provocative.

Quote:

Japan on Friday ordered its air force to track the movement of two Russian nuclear-capable planes that were flying close to Japanese airspace, RIA Novosti reported.

The pair of long-range Tupolev Tu-160 bombers were said by the Japanese military to have flown close to Japan's Hokkaido island and past Honshu island.

Though the bombers did not trespass into Japanese airspace, the island nation's jets were scrambled as a preventative measure, according to the Japanese military.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/globa...mbers-20131209
03-27-2014
AdamG

This article is from last September, setting up a base in the New Siberian Islands. I had to look up where those where
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Siberian_Islands

http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/content/...c/1751157.html

Quote:

Russia to restore the Soviet military base in the Arctic, which was abandoned after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This was announced by President Vladimir Putin .

This step is part of the transformation of the northern coast of Russia in the global shipping route and secure the vast energy resources of the region.

Base on the New Siberian Islands, has not been used for twenty years, but recently , Russia sent him to a group of four nuclear-powered icebreakers and 10 warships to signal the restoration of a permanent military presence in the Arctic .

Flotilla headed by the Russian nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great " was held on the Northern Sea Route from Europe to Asia through the Russian waters - from the Kara Gate to the Bering Strait .

" Our military is left there in 1993 , and yet it is a very important point in the Arctic Ocean . Mean and a new stage of development of the Northern Sea Route ", - Putin said at a meeting in the Ministry of Defence .

" We agreed that at this point we not only recreate a military base , but let me order airfield , make it possible to participate in teamwork MOE representatives , hydrologists , professionals who deal with climate, to ensure the safety and efficiency of operations in the North sea way , so that Russia could effectively control this part of its territory, " - said the Russian president more .

Russia is making big bets on the development of huge reserves of Arctic energy and busy shipping route is an integral part of this plan .

Climate warming has led to greater melting ice in the Arctic and the lengthening of the navigation period , which gives hope that the Northern Sea Route can be a shorter alternative to the southern routes .

However, experts point out that poor infrastructure , ice floes , narrow straits , shallow waters and harsh winters preclude the safe and profitable shipping in the region.
03-31-2014
davidbfpo

Russia in the Artic

I thought I'd posted these two news items from hitherto unknown news resource.

Quote:

The paratroopers from the 98th Paratroopers Division in Ivanovo were dropped over the island of Kotelny on Friday in a show of strength in Arctic conditions.....As previously reported, the Russian Northern Fleet late 2013 took major efforts in the reopening of the Temp airfield at Kotelny....The Island of Kotelny in the period 1933-1993 housed a research station and military base.

Link:http://barentsobserver.com/en/securi...-we-come-17-03

I am sure this is the island AdamG posted on three days ago.

OK, not Russia, but Norway's presence in the Barents Sea continues:http://barentsobserver.com/en/securi...-spyship-17-03
10-17-2014
AdamG

Quote:

Starting from 2017, the Russian Air Force will base MiG-31 interceptor jets and tactical aircraft at a Russian Arctic airfield in the urban settlement of Tiksi in northernmost Sakha Republic, Commander Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Wednesday.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/rus...83496/+pgeorge
10-22-2014
AdamG

Quote:

Russia prepares for ice-cold war with show of military force in the Arctic
Vladimir Putin sends troops and jets to oil- and gas-rich region also coveted by Canada, United States, Norway and Denmark

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-oil-gas-putin
10-22-2014
AdamG

Quote:

Russia prepares for ice-cold war with show of military force in the Arctic
Vladimir Putin sends troops and jets to oil- and gas-rich region also coveted by Canada, United States, Norway and Denmark

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-oil-gas-putin
10-22-2014
AdamG

Quote:

In addition to the annexation of the tiny Yaya Island located in the desolate Laptev Sea, Russia is reactivating Cold War bases and deploying some 6,000 military personnel along the length of its arctic frontier. Additionally, Moscow has ordered a great increase of its federal border guards presence along its vast northern border.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/rus...235569/+travis
10-27-2014
AdamG

Quote:

China is to build its own airfield in Antarctica, media reported Monday, as Beijing continues to expand its footprint in the most remote corners of the globe.

The airstrip will be built to assist China's four research stations on the frozen continent, the Beijing Evening News said, without giving details such as runway length or capacity.

http://news.yahoo.com/china-build-an...003402266.html
11-01-2014
AdamG

Not military in nature, but an Indicator that both Poles seem to be in play.

Quote:

PERTH Australia - China and Russia have thwarted an international attempt to create the world’s largest ocean sanctuary in Antarctica as both nations eye the region’s rich reserves of fish and krill.

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) wound up a 10-day meeting in Hobart, Australia on Friday without the consensus needed for a deal to conserve and manage the marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean. While Russia blocked conservation proposals for a fourth consecutive time, China’s refusal to back the international plan came as a surprise to many delegates after previous statements of support for conservation and marine protection.

http://news.yahoo.com/china-russia-t...162056300.html
08-04-2015
OUTLAW 09

Ah…another defacto Russian annexation—this time in the Artic—they had announced this week they had expanded their security zone to 500kms—way way past the international legal norm and way way past the UN stated zones for all five nations involved in the Artic.

Looks like they are trying to “legalize” their annexation.

AND the four other nations say not a single word or complain----asleep at the wheel appears to be the Western foreign policy these days in reference to Russian military moves.

MFA Russia ✔ @mfa_russia
#Russia submitted revised application to the #UN seeking expansion of its Arctic shelf border http://goo.gl/4S9SJC pic.twitter.com/CiGettjKUO
09-10-2015
AdamG

Proactive vs Reactive

Quote:

Two Russian companies are going to develop a heavy class of drone for monitoring the Arctic shelf, the press service of one of the companies announced at the Russia Arms Expo 2015.
A new heavy drone weighing 1.5 tons with a flight range of up to 4,000 kilometers (which is enough to fly from the Russian shore to the North pole and back again twice) will be created within the joint project of two Russian engineering companies – the drone developer ‘Tiber’ and RTI Aerospace Systems.

http://www.rt.com/news/314860-russia...-arctic-drone/

Quote:

Russia and China in the Arctic: Is the US Facing an Icebreaker Gap?
Among other things, Russia will introduce the design for a new super-nuclear icebreaker by the end of 2015.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/russi...cebreaker-gap/

Quote:

WASHINGTON -- As China and Russia boost their military presence in the resource-rich far north, U.S. intelligence agencies are scrambling to study potential threats in the Arctic for the first time since the Cold War, a sign of the region's growing strategic importance.

Over the last 14 months, most of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies have assigned analysts to work full time on the Arctic. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently convened a "strategy board" to bring the analysts together to share their findings.

https://www.adn.com/article/20150907...rease-presence
01-30-2017
AdamG

Quote:

MURMANSK, Russia (Reuters) - The nuclear icebreaker Lenin, the pride and joy of the Soviet Union's Arctic great game, lies at perpetual anchor in the frigid water here. A relic of the Cold War, it is now a museum.
But nearly three decades after the Lenin was taken out of service to be turned into a visitor attraction, Russia is again on the march in the Arctic and building new nuclear icebreakers.
It is part of a push to firm Moscow's hand in the High North as it vies for dominance with traditional rivals Canada, the United States, and Norway as well as newcomer China.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/putins-rus...102944933.html
04-19-2017
AdamG

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ion-en.svg.png

Fear the Russian Reindeers.

Russia unveils its new Arctic military base housing nuclear-ready warplanes and REINDEER-powered special forces as it seeks to claim the region's huge oil and gas reserves

Quote:

Russia has unveiled five-storey military base on Alexander Land in the Arctic Ocean's Franz Josef Archipelago
The top-secret polar complex, painted in Russia's red, white and blue, can house warplanes and 150 troops
Comes as Russia looks to lay claim to region's enormous oil and gas reserves thought to be worth £23trillion

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz4ehvfQxhA
02-06-2018
AdamG

Chessboard at the North Pole

Interesting article in it's entirety. Seriously, this is actual journalism.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/06/russ...ol-arctic.html

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Call it a new cold war: Russia, China and the United States all vying for influence and control in a part of the world that, this time, is quite literally cold.

With more than half of all Arctic coastline along its northern shores, Russia has long sought economic and military dominance in part of the world where as much as $35 trillion worth of untapped oil and natural gas could be lurking. Now China is pushing its way into the Arctic, announcing last month its ambitions to develop a "Polar Silk Road" through the region as warming global temperatures open up new sea lanes and economic opportunities at the top of the world.

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At play is between one-fifth and a quarter of the world's untapped fossil-fuel resources, not to mention a range of mineable minerals, including gold, silver, diamond, copper, titanium, graphite, uranium and other valuable rare earth elements. With the ice in retreat, those resources will come increasingly within reach.

Motive established. Moving on...

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At a December meeting of climate scientists in New Orleans, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that the Arctic as we've known it is now a thing of the past. Coining a new phrase — the New Arctic — they described the uptick in ocean surface warming and decline in sea ice since 2000 as unprecedented in the past 1,500 years. The Arctic, they wrote, "shows no sign of returning to [the] reliably frozen region of past decades."

Interesting scientific blog, with historical and update maps. http://neven1.typepad.com/blog/ice-age/

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Russia isn't alone. Finland, the United States and Canada have also proposed significant infrastructure investment within their respective Arctic zones. Norway's state energy company is pursuing exploration activities in the far reaches of the Barents Sea even as its sovereign wealth fund considers divesting from fossil fuels. In January the Trump administration announced plans to open up much of the U.S. outer continental shelf to offshore drilling, including areas off the north shore of Alaska.

But it's the emergence of China — a nation with no territorial claim to the Arctic — as a rising polar power that has the potential to shake up the competition for resources and influence in the region. With its economic and naval power on the rise, China has begun underwriting Arctic development projects despite its lack of territory there, underscoring the region's growing global importance.

Posts of relevance
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...d.php?p=204270

http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...d.php?p=204819

More on that fluctuating ice.

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Arctic sea ice extent for December 2017 averaged 11.75 million square kilometers (4.54 million square miles), the second lowest in the 1979 to 2017 satellite record. This was 1.09 million square kilometers (420,900 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average and 280,000 square kilometers (108,100 square miles) above the record low December extent recorded in 2016. Extent at the end of the month was below average in the far northern Atlantic Ocean and Barents Sea, slightly above average in western Hudson Bay, and continued to be below average in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Near-average conditions prevailed along the eastern coast of Greenland and in the Sea of Okhotsk.

More maps and data here
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
02-06-2018
AdamG

From a German site -

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The 2017 sea ice minimum extent was reached on 2017-09-05. Sea ice extent is now increasing again.

https://seaice.uni-bremen.de/arctic-sea-ice-minima/

As a reference point, the USN plan from 2014.
USN Arctic Roadmap 2014-2030
http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/files/...admap-2014.pdf

Scientific America weighing in on the above

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The document said the Bering Strait was expected to see open conditions about 160 days a year by 2020, with the deep ocean routes of the Transpolar transit route forecast to be open for up to 45 days annually by 2025.
The document includes dozens of specific tasks and deadlines for Navy offices, including calling for better research on rising sea levels and the ability to predict sea ice thickness, assessment of satellite communications and surveillance needs, and evaluation of existing ports, airfields and hangars.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...tic-from-2025/

Hyperlink & summary.

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Rear Adm. Stuart Munsch, Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5B), delivered the following remarks during the 7th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations at the Naval Heritage Center in Washington, D.C., July 18 [2017]
02-07-2018
AdamG

*Indicator*

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US military officials and policymakers are devoting increased attention to the potential for conflict with a near-peer competitor, and they've pursued a number of operational and equipment changes to prepare for it.
Among the latest moves is the roll out of more cold-weather gear among the US Army and Marine Corps, underscoring the military's growing concern about its ability to operate in extreme environments outside the Middle East.
For the last several years, the Army has been looking to update its gear for extreme environments, mainly jungles and the harsh cold. Included in that search was a new cold-weather boot and a cold-weather clothing system that could be adjusted for various temperatures.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/th...cid=spartandhp
02-27-2018
AdamG

Quote:

The sun won’t rise at the North Pole until March 20, and it’s normally close to the coldest time of year, but an extraordinary and possibly historic thaw swelled over the tip of the planet this weekend. Analyses show that the temperature warmed to the melting point as an enormous storm pumped an intense pulse of heat through the Greenland Sea.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/to...cid=spartandhp

From the previously mentioned blogsite -

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This probably has a lot to do with the splitting of the Polar Vortex due to a sudden stratospheric warming event a while back. I'm grateful for a bit of winter, finally, in my neck of the European woods, but not too happy about the consequences for the Arctic. The cause of all this heat and ice being pushed away from the northern coast of Greenland is an atmospheric set-up that during summer we'd be referring to as a Reverse Dipole (low pressure over the Canadian side of the Arctic, high pressure over the Siberian side).

http://neven1.typepad.com/blog/2018/02/index.html
02-27-2018
davidbfpo

Moderator at work

I merged Adam G's latest post, renamed the thread and copied in a number of posts readily i'd as referring to Arctic / Polar matters.

There are a number of posts on another thread which may have more information 'Watching Russian Air & Sea Activity':http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=18956
09-30-2018
AdamG

Quote:

He said Russia had been re-opening Soviet bases not used in years, and an increased submarine activity in the area meant that Britain had to protect its own interests. Ministers are worried that as the Arctic ice melts, Russia's President Putin will try to grab land and intensify its activity there. Climate change has also sparked a rush to tap into oil reserves there.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/738161...lliamson-says/
10-01-2018
AdamG

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The Russian military will test its new third-generation T-14 Armata main battle tank (MBT) in adverse climatic conditions including the Arctic, Deputy Russian Ground Forces Commander for Armaments Lieutenant General Viktor Lizvinsky told journalists in late August.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/russ...ank-in-arctic/
12-14-2018
AdamG

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RUSSIA’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom plans take control of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic Ocean using a fleet of modern icebreakers to guarantee year-round shipping across the key trade artery. Moscow believes opening up the route permanently would half sailing times between Europe and Asia and but the waterway could become a political flashpoint with other global shipping companies vying for position in the icy northern region as shipping on the NSR continues to boom. More than 10 million tons of goods were shipped on the route in 2017 and figures for this year indicate a year-on-year increase of as much as 80 percent.

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Mr Kulinko [Rosatom's head of the NSR development department] said Russia would be operating 11 nuclear-powered icebreakers by 2035.

He told a conference in St Petersburg: "We expect that the Arctic icebreaker fleet will include five multirole nuclear-power icebreakers with a rated capacity of 60 megawatt each, three Leader-class icebreakers, four gas-motor fuel icebreakers with a rated capacity of up to 40 megawatt, plus the 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker, which will reached the end of its service life by 2039.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world...ed-icebreakers

Two new plot twists.

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ST. PETERSBURG, December 12. /TASS/. A solemn ceremony was held at the Almaz Shipyard in St. Petersburg to lay down the Project 21180M icebreaker Yevpatiy Kolovrat for the Russian Navy, TASS reports from the scene.

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After the icebreaker is delivered to the Navy, it will operate in the Russian Far East, Yepifanov said. "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will be its home port."

Project 21180
Project 21180 vessels are Russian-made next-generation diesel-electric icebreakers of the support fleet. The Yevpatiy Kolovrat developed by the Nizhny Novgorod-based Vympel Design Bureau will be 82 meters long, 19 meters wide and will have a draft of 4.6 meters. The icebreaker will be able to develop a maximum speed of 14 knots and displace 4,080 tonnes of water. The vessel will have a crew of 28.

The icebreaker is designed to lead Russian naval ships and vessels, and also tow and deliver cargoes to remote bases, render assistance to ships in distress in ice conditions. It will be capable of breaking an ice field of 1 meter thick at a speed of two knots. The icebreaker will have an operating range of 7,600 miles.

The Yevpatiy Kolovrat is being built under the modernized ‘lightened’ Project 21180M. It is distinguished by the reduced size of the hull and the small draft. This series of icebreakers will get the most advanced Zaliv-LK-21180 automated control system.

http://tass.com/economy/1035715

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The large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov was laid down at the Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast on June 11, 2015 and floated out on May 25 this year. By the Navy’s decision, this series will consist of only two warships: the lead ship Ivan Gren, which has been under construction for over 20 years due to the Project’s numerous adjustments and the first serial-produced (the second-built) large amphibious assault ship Pyotr Morgunov.

Project 11711 warships displace about 6,000 tonnes and are the largest surface combatants built to date. The previous Project 1171 ‘Tapir’ large amphibious assault ship displaces 4,300 tonnes and the most numerous ships of this class in the Russian Navy (Project 775) have a displacement of 4,400 tonnes.

http://tass.com/defense/1032678
12-14-2018
AdamG

Alibi post

Quote:

The Arctic is the first vessel in the series of three Project 22220 LK-60 Nuclear Icebreakers being built for Atomflot by Baltic Shipyard Shipbuilding. It is touted to become the world’s biggest and the most powerful icebreaker.

The vessel was designed by the Iceberg Central Design Bureau in 2009. The steel-cutting ceremony for the vessel was held in November 2012 and keel was laid in November 2013. The vessel is expected to be launched in November 2015 and delivery is scheduled for late 2017.

It will serve as a pilot project for the remaining two vessels, which will be constructed based on the results of the Arctic’s performance. The other two vessels will also be constructed by the same contractor, Baltic Shipyard Shipbuilding.

https://www.ship-technology.com/proj...ar-icebreaker/

Quote:

When ready for sailing in 2019, the vessel type LK-60 (project 22220) will be able to break through three meter thick ice.
The LK-60 icebreakers will be 173 meters long and 34 meters wide. It will be based in Murmansk as part of the state-owned Rosatomflot fleet of nuclear icebreakers. Russia intends to build at least two vessels of the class, the first to be ready by the end of 2019, the second by the end of 2020.

https://thebarentsobserver.com/ru/node/164

Quote:

Russia launched the world's biggest, most powerful icebreaker on Thursday in St. Petersburg. The Arktika is 568 feet long and powered by two nuclear reactors. It can break through ice 13 feet deep, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports. The ship set forth early, ahead of its planned 2017 launch, according to Sputnik News and the shipyard where the Arktika was built.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...ful-icebreaker
12-14-2018
AdamG

Quote:

2018-11-27 18:00:11

On Tuesday, a fire broke out aboard the new diesel-electric icebreaker Viktor Chernomyrdin, which is nearing completion at St. Petersburg's Admiralty Shipyard. Two individuals were injured in the incident, including one who was hospitalized.

According to state media, the fire broke out at about 1900 hours Tuesday evening. A massive response effort involving 140 personnel and 39 firefighting vehicles brought it under control by 2100 hours, and responders fully extinguished it by 2215.

The blaze affected the vessel's third and fourth deck levels, and it burned about 3,200 square feet of the vessel's interior space, according to TASS. The fire reportedly affected compartments containing electrical equipment and wiring, among other areas

Quote:

The Viktor Chernomyrdin was nearing completion at the time of the fire, and she was due to enter service by the end of this year. At 22,000 tonnes, she will be the largest diesel-electric icebreaker in the world, though less powerful than several Russian and American vessels of the same class. She is designed to make two knots through seven feet of ice, both ahead and astern.

The Chernomyrdin's construction has already been set back by three years due to a combination of internal and external factors, including Western sanctions, currency devaluation and design errors. In late 2013, one year after her keel was laid, engineers discovered that she would be 2,500 tons overweight due to a mistake in drafting. Admiralty Shipyard, a St. Petersburg yard that normally specializes in submarines, took over her construction last year.

https://www.maritime-executive.com/a...-st-petersburg
01-13-2019
AdamG

Quote:

Planet Earth is alive. Deep beneath its skin, its life blood — rivers of molten iron — pulse around its core. And this mobile iron is what generates the magnetic field that causes auroras — and keeps us alive. But, according to the science journal Nature, something strange is going on deep down below. It’s causing the magnetic North Pole to ‘skitter’ away from Canada, towards Siberia.

“The magnetic pole is moving so quickly that it has forced the world’s geomagnetism experts into a rare move,” Nature reports.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/s...38836c6097be9d

https://i.imgur.com/9JJ3fNQ.jpg
01-13-2019
AdamG

In the next breath,

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The polar vortex is making big changes for the new year. Around January 1, this whirling blob of cold air, which sits 10 to 30 miles above the surface of the North Pole, broke apart into at least two “sister” vortices. Disruptions like this can cause a ripple effect leading to chilly weather further south, and meteorologists say there’s potential for a spell of wintry weather to hit the northeastern U.S. and western Europe toward the end of the month.

https://www.popsci.com/polar-vortex-fractured