Pentagon: U.S. should improve its capabilities in Arctic
The Defense Department has sent to Congress a report on its Arctic operations that leaders say will put the department in a good position to shape U.S. interests as the region undergoes dramatic climate and social changes.
The Arctic is warming on average twice as fast as the rest of the planet, resulting in more human activity in the area, a report summary says. The report assesses U.S. national security objectives in the region, and the capabilities and infrastructure needed to support them.
The U.S. should take efforts to improve its command, control, communications and intelligence capabilities in the Arctic and remove the limitations affecting its interests in the region, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a Report to Congress on Arctic Operations and the Northwest Passage was sent on June 3, the department’s web site reads.
The report summary lists as challenges in the area: Shortfalls in ice and weather reporting and forecasting; limitations in command and control, communications, intelligence and other capabilities due to a lack of assets and harsh conditions; and limited inventory of ice-capable vessels and shore-based infrastructure.
The report also assesses the status of U.S. icebreaking equipment in the region, which currently exists with the Coast Guard, but not the Navy, the summary says.
In March 2011, a study prepared for the US Navy warned that the U.S. urgently needs to build up its military readiness in the Arctic, warning that climate change could upset the delicate security balance in the Arctic and that America is unprepared for the challenges ahead.
Along with the challenges, the opening of the Arctic also presents opportunities to work collaboratively in multilateral forums to promote a balanced approach to improving human and environmental security in the region, the summary of the Report to Congress on Arctic Operations says.
The United States should cooperate with other members of the eight-nation Arctic Council - Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden - to “promote a balanced approach to improving human and environmental security in the region,” the summary says.
