By Dan Middlemiss, 30 August 2024
Recently the US Department of Defense (DoD) released the latest in a series of documents dealing with its Arctic strategy. Accomplished without much fanfare, Arctic Strategy 2024 sets out the main drivers of American strategy, and several of the general principles for its implementation.[1]
According to the strategy, “Major geopolitical changes are driving the need for this new strategic approach to the Arctic, including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the accession of Finland and Sweden to the NATO Alliance, increasing collaboration between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. This increasingly accessible region is becoming a venue for strategic competition, and the United States must stand ready to meet the challenge alongside Allies and partners.”
Thus, the DoD “directs the Department to enhance its Arctic capabilities, deepen engagement with Allies and partners, and exercise our forces to build readiness for operations at high latitudes.” The strategy states that US defence activities in the Arctic will be “calibrated to reflect a ‘monitor-and-respond’ approach that is underpinned by robust intelligence collection capabilities, security cooperation with our regional Allies and partners, and the deterrent value of DoD’s ability to deploy the Joint Force globally at the time and place of our choosing.”
The strategy candidly notes that the main risks to the success of the strategy arise from the need to balance planned Arctic activities against other DoD global commitments and resource requirements.
Herein lies a real opportunity for Canada to pursue its own home defence interests while at the same time contributing to US security needs. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, Ottawa doesn’t do strategy; rather it does ‘convening’ and ‘approaches’ (Africa). High time for Canada to get its own Arctic strategy in place so that it can help shape Canada’s near-term defence missions and force structure.
Notes
1. U.S. Department of Defense, Arctic Strategy 2024, 22 July 2024. Accessed at:
https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jul/22/2003507411/-1/-1/0/DOD-ARCTIC-STRATEGY-2024.PDF
