Recent Chinese activity in the Arctic such as the recent voyage of the Xue Long 2 has raised concerns in the West, but it may prove more threatening to Russia in the long term. ADAM LAJEUNESSE, Ph.D./BRIAN MULRONEY INSTITUTE As the icebreaker Xue Long 2 left Shanghai for China’s 13th Arctic expedition in July 2023, concerns mounted once again in the West that scientific work concealed the development of dual-purpose polar military technology or was paving the way for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to exploit natural resources or, perhaps, commence submarine operations. Accentuating these fears was a Canadian…
The Watch
Morten Hoglund, Norway’s senior representative at the Artic Council, said his country has brokered an agreement to restart working group activities at the forum, which were suspended since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. THE WATCH STAFF The Arctic Council’s eight member states have agreed to resume activities at the working group level after a long pause sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 The council includes countries with territory in the Arctic region: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Seven of the council’s western nations agreed to pause their activities in March…
Defense ministers and armament directors for Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden met on September 6, 2023, in Stockholm to discuss closer military relationships. THE WATCH STAFF High-ranking military officials from four Nordic countries met in September 2023 to reaffirm a common vision for the defense of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. They also discussed a Nordic-Baltic strategic cooperative agreement to buy ammunition to replace stockpiles donated to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The countries’ defense chiefs and armament directors met in Stockholm on September 6, 2023, in a regular gathering of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO), a regional military…
A Finnish Soldier operates a 155 mm field gun during an exercise in May 2023. REUTERS NATO’s newest member Finland plans to spend 2.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense next year, its defense ministry said. In July, NATO’s 31 member nations agreed to spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defense. Previously the 2% target had been a goal to aim for over time and only seven allies met the target in 2022, according to NATO. Finland joined the alliance in April in a historic security policy U-turn in response to neighboring Russia’s 2022 invasion…
The USCG Healy, pictured on an Arctic voyage, was tracked by a Russian vessel as it drew near the Russian Arctic coastline in early September 2005. THE WATCH STAFF A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker recently traversed the Arctic Circle to support naval research on the evolution of the Arctic Sea while being tracked by a Russian vessel. The USCG Healy departed from the U.S. Coast Guard base at Kodiak Island on August 26, sailing into the Bering Strait. The icebreaker later entered the Chukchi Sea on August 30 and continued north into the Arctic Ocean before turning toward the Russian…
Swedish troops participate in a 2018 military exercise with U.S and German allies. THE WATCH STAFF An aggressive Russia and a warming Arctic climate should motivate Sweden to rethink its military strategy in the region, a Swedish government researcher suggests. Henrik Persson, a deputy analyst for the Swedish Defence Research Agency, wrote that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should be a learning experience for Sweden about what it takes to counter aggression, according to an August 16, 2023, post on the agency’s website. The world’s reaction to Russia’s invasion – crippling sanctions, military aid for Ukraine and a strengthening NATO alliance…
A joint interdiction involving the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the U.S. Coast Guard and Turks and Caicos personnel occurred on August 13, 2023, and resulted in the interception of 145 Haitian migrants. THE WATCH STAFF The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), operating jointly with the U.S. Coast Guard and Turks and Caicos Islands personnel, intercepted a ship with 145 Haitian migrants on August 13, 2023. Bahamian authorities provided the migrants with medical care, food and water, and accommodations after the interdiction by the patrol vessel HMBS Bahamas, which had two service members from the Turks and Caicos Islands on board…
THE WATCH STAFF A U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker arrives at Ørland Air Station, Norway, in 2020. Norway is reexamining its defense strategy toward Russia after its eastern neighbor’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has senior Norwegian military officials reexamining their country’s defense strategy toward its aggressive neighbor. Self-imposed Norwegian restrictions of military flight activity near the country’s border with Russia should be phased out, a Norwegian general said. According to Lt. Gen. Rune Jakobsen, former commander of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, stated in the Norwegian newspaper VG in August 2023, “We need a totally new…
Chinese Ambassador Dai Qingli, left, presents Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis with a gift to mark the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. R. EVAN ELLIS The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been making a series of strategic investments in the Bahamas that include ports, multimillion-dollar construction projects and tourism ventures. It’s part of an influence campaign, according to March 2023 testimony by Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, the leader of U.S. Northern Command, that involves “efforts to gain a foothold only 50 miles from the U.S. East Coast.” It’s a campaign that has expanded over two decades, and one that…
An LC-130 Hercules aircraft sits on an Arctic skiway created by the 109th Airlift Wing. THE WATCH STAFF Defending the U.S. homeland around-the-clock from an array of threats across North America was the theme of the most recent Homeland Defense Awareness Symposium (HDAS) in Colorado Springs, which attracted more than 100 government, industry and academic participants. Organized by the Homeland Defense Institute at the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) on July 18-19, 2023, the annual symposium’s theme was “Homeland Defense 24-7.” Geographically based panels and breakout sessions on the…