U.S. Department of Defense Demands Updating Sensors and Communications Equipment in Preparation for Increased Sino-Russian Military Activities in the Arctic :: Sympathetic Media Newsis ::

Activities in the Arctic region increase sharply, including joint military exercises between China and Russia

Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks: “This is a critical golden time for the Arctic”

(Washington = AP/ Newsis) Reporter Cha Mi-rye = The U.S. Department of Defense announced on the 22nd (local time) that in response to the recent significant increase in the scope and frequency of activities in the Arctic region, such as joint training between China and Russia, more investment and innovation in surveillance sensors, communication equipment, and space-based cutting-edge technology, as well as a new defense strategy, are necessary.

“This is a critical time” for the Arctic, and the Department of Defense must take steps to improve equipment and new strategies to keep the region safe from adversary activity and aging U.S. military equipment, as well as to protect our troops there,” Under Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said at a news conference on the 22nd.
He did not reveal specifics of America’s Arctic strategy, but said the broad picture calls for more investment in advanced sensors and radar systems, as well as equipment for stationed troops.

In particular, he said, there is an urgent need to improve the equipment of the Pitupik Space Force Base, a U.S. Space Force base located at the northwestern tip of Greenland.

The U.S. military here currently relies on a number of NATO member countries, including the Canadian military, and continues to rely on them for weapons and operations, the Department of Defense said.

For more than a decade, defense secretaries have argued that the United States needs to expand its current scope and investment in the Arctic to better defend the region in the age of climate change and to win the competition with China and Russia.

But expanding polar facilities has faced a number of daunting challenges, including developing deep-sea ports and weapons, drones and climate-resistant equipment, and icebreakers and auxiliary equipment that can navigate in extreme cold.

In particular, the United States has struggled with defense strategies and facilities from the old Cold War that were not functioning properly in the harsh Arctic Ocean and dangerous coastal terrain.

The Arctic’s cold and increasingly unpredictable climate conditions have also had a negative impact on military training and equipment build-up.

In addition, satellite surveillance in the Arctic region is limited, so more sensors and communication equipment need to be updated and expanded to maintain military security in the future.
At a time when such cutting-edge operations and equipment are needed, Hicks said, Arctic sea ice is melting three times faster than the rest of the world, potentially leading to a “practically ice-free summer” in the Arctic by 2030.

The increased maritime traffic due to the melting ice is expected to lead to increased risks of accidents, miscalculations, and environmental degradation.
Undersecretary Hicks said that Russia and China have also increased their Arctic activities in recent years, and while it is difficult to know the exact numbers, the increased cooperation between the two countries is also increasing the U.S. concerns. The two countries conducted joint military exercises off the coast of Alaska in 2022 and 2023.
In this water area with abundant underground resources, China’s independent activities have also increased significantly. China is conducting joint military and civilian exploration with three icebreakers, and the Chinese ships are also known to be equipped with underwater drones and polar aircraft.
Russia, the world’s largest polar power, has also strengthened its activities in the Arctic Ocean and is deploying strategic nuclear weapons. It is also possible to test ballistic missiles launched from submarines.
The Pentagon report argues that under these threats, the Pentagon urgently needs to expand its capabilities to better sensors and space-based missile warning and observation systems.

Failure to invest in the Arctic during this early warning phase could result in much greater risks to the U.S. mainland in the future, the Pentagon report warned.

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