Since beginning of 2009, the United States has demonstrated a fundamental interest in the Arctic Region, specifically regarding matters of: missile defense and early warning, deployment of sea and air systems for strategic sealift, strategic deterrence, maritime presence, and maritime security operations.
In 2012, NATO has individually and collectively increased their “military presence and war fighting ability” in the High North. The militarization of this region reflects the census that the High North has been estimated to contain a quarter of the Earth’s oil and gas.
A series of military exercises have been executed to prepare naval forces from the US, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden. Poland’s Defense Minister Klich has noted that, “NATO has decided to heavily invest in Poland by modernizing military infrastructure including air and sea bases.” The United States has chosen Poland as a permanent location for stationing US Patriot missiles. The Polish sea bases are located strategically on the Baltic and are within striking distance of Russia’s two larges cities: Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The 2009 exercise Loyal Arrow was, “history’s largest air maneuver in the northern part of Sweden and Norway;” following the 2012 operation Cold Response that included 16,500 soldiers from fifteen different countries.
Sources:
Rick Rozoff, “NATO’s War Plans For The High North. The Militarization of the Arctic,” Global Research, June 14, 2009.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/nato-s-war-plans-for-the-high-north/13975
Rick Rozoff, “Pentagon Confronts Russia In The Baltic Sea,” Global Research, January 29, 2010. http://www.globalresearch.ca/pentagon-confronts-russia-in-the-baltic-sea/17270
John Robles, “Militarization of the Arctic: ‘We have to rethink how war is fought’ – Norberg,” Voice of Russian, January 30, 2011. http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_30/Militarization-of-the-Arctic-We-have-to-rethink-how-war-is-fought-Nordberg/
Rick Rozoff, “US, NATO Intensify War Games Around Russia’s Perimeter,” Geopolitical Monitor, March 7, 2010.
http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-nato-intensify-war-games-around-russias-perimeter-3527/
Student Researcher: Bently Anderson, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Laura P. Naumann, Sonoma State University