In light of increasing competition in an Arctic Region undergoing environmental change, the US Coast Guard and Navy are determined to up their capability in the austere area.The Coast Guard has just published its Arctic Strategic Outlook:
Actions by strategic competitors will challenge the long-standing norms that have made the Arctic an area of peace and low tension.The institutions contributing to a conflict-free Arctic will face new challenges requiring active and committed American leadership.*
While Russia has been refurbishing military bases above the Arctic Circle,China has sent warships on patrol near Alaska and says it is a near-Arctic state.It also aspires to establish a Polar Silk Road to further it's commercial and strategic profile.*
The US Coast Guard goes on to promise:
The Service will make integrated operations with joint service, interagency and allied partners a critical element of current and future strategic and operations plans.*
Congress has just appropriated 655 million dollars to start work on the first of up to six Polar Security Cutters,a new class of cutter with the size, strength and electrical capacity to support cruise missile emplacement while breaking ice.*
In its analysis, the Coast Guard found that:
A key element of the strategies of our competitors is to engage in activities that weaken the international order that underpins a free and open maritime domain.They do so under a cloud of ambiguity that makes it difficult to mount an effective or timely response to such activities.*
According to the US Navy in its Arctic Roadmap for 2014 to 2030:
The Navy and Coast Guard have a decades-long history of cooperation and collaboration... The combined efforts of the Navy and the Coast Guard in the Arctic Ocean will reflect this historic relationship.The Coast Guard and the Navy are committed to ensuring safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity in Arctic Ocean waters and to promoting our other national interests in the region.*
The Navy explains that:
The Navy's submarine fleet has decades of experience performing missions and exercises under the sea ice.On the other hand, the Navy's surface and air forces have limited operational experience in the region.The Navy will need to periodically evaluate preparedness for operations and conduct training exercises in harsh conditions as changes occur over time in order to assure the Navy can operate in a more accessible Arctic Ocean.
The Navy will protect American sovereign rights and jurisdiction through flexible, periodic presence, and contribute to homeland defense in conjunction with the Joint Force.The Navy will ensure it remains prepared to operate in the Arctic Region to​ counter any threat that may arise.
The Navy will continue to operate in the Arctic Region and be ready to conduct maritime patrol operations and maritime interception operations, and support Coast Guard operations as required.
The Navy's unique capabilities allow it to rapidly and effectively deploy and sustain forces in and from multiple dispersed locations to respond to crises, contribute to deterrence, and to enhance regional stability.
During shoulder​ seasons, the Navy may employ ice strengthened Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships to conduct Navy missions.
By 2030, the Navy will have the necessary training and personnel to respond to contingencies and emergencies affecting national security... The Navy will work to mitigate the gaps and seams and transition its Arctic Ocean operations from a capability to provide periodic presence to a capability to operate deliberately for sustained​ periods when needed.