Arctic / Polar matters (merged thread)

[AdamG]

This could get interesting.

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

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

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

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

[AdamG]

US and Russia stir up political tensions over Arctic

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

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

[AdamG]

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