Arctic

While short on icebreakers, US surpasses Russia in Arctic subs

Alaska's congressional delegation has long sought to expand the nation's meager fleet of heavy icebreakers and President Barack Obama recently added his voice to such calls during his visit to Alaska.

But one of the main points trotted out when such calls are made -- how few icebreakers the U.S. has compared to Russia -- may not be all that relevant, especially in the context of a military buildup, according to a Reuters blog post from War is Boring editor David Axe.

"[T]he United States' Arctic strategy depends less on surface ships than Russia's strategy does," writes Axe. "Instead, the U.S. military is betting on submarines to exert its influence in the far north."

And U.S. Arctic-capable submarines significantly outnumber their Russian counterparts, Axe writes.

The piece also compares U.S. and Russian military aircraft and troops in the region, charting how "Washington and Moscow are approaching their Arctic build-ups quite differently."

A Vice News article, meanwhile, suggests Russia's military buildup in the region may not be as belligerent as it seems, citing factors including the nation's continued participation in international forums such as the Arctic Council.

"A source familiar with Russia's role in the Arctic Council told VICE News that others in the region don't currently view the Russian military buildup as a threat," the news outlet wrote. "With its large Arctic population and long coastline, it simply makes sense that Russia would want to invest in infrastructure there, which would include military bases, ships, and weapons systems."

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And it may be a show of force with an intended audience outside the Arctic -- China, for example.

Despite that upbeat assessment, the piece also acknowledged that if U.S.-Russian relations continue to deteriorate, the Arctic could eventually be the site of conflict.

"Things are going downhill in our relationship with Russia, and there's no reason to suspect the Arctic will be immune," a U.S. Naval War College professor told Vice News.

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