Climate change melts polar ice cap and navy looks north: NPR

The US Navy looks north.

As climate change melts the ice that has long blocked the region of transit and industry, the military is determining how to expand its presence in the waters of the Far North, mainly off the coast. coasts of Alaska.

The reason is that much of the commercial activity and interest for development in the region comes from countries that the Pentagon considers rivals, such as Russia and China.

The navy's presence in Alaska has grown tremendously over the years. The state has abundant resources in the military and the air force, as well as in the Coast Guard as a whole. The Navy organizes underwater exercises under the pack ice off the north coast of Alaska.

But until last year, no American aircraft carrier had ventured over the Arctic Circle in nearly three decades. USS Harry S. Truman took part in naval exercises in the Norwegian Sea last October. It was the first vessel of its kind to navigate this far north since 1991.

And for the first time in a decade, an aircraft carrier strike group, led by USS Theodore Roosevelt, traveled to Alaska as part of Northern Edge, a large-scale biennial gathering of personnel from all branches of the army – airmen, navies, soldiers, sailors and coasts. The navy is still involved, but this year it was in force.

Rear-Admiral Daniel Dwyer commands nine ships from Roosevelt's strike group. Speaking on a multi-story observation post over the cockpit, he said that climate change was adding a new urgency to training like this, as the activity unfolded. increases in Arctic waters.

"You see the narrowing of the polar ice cap, the opening of traffic lanes, increased traffic in these areas," said Dwyer. "It's the responsibility of the navy to protect America by these approaches."

The Department of Defense considers that the threat of military conflict in the Arctic is weak, but is alarmed by the intensification of activity in the region from Russia and China. A report published in 2018 by the Government Accountability Office on the role of the Navy in the Arctic indicates that abundant natural resources such as gas, mineral resources and fish stocks are becoming increasingly accessible as the ice cap melts, generating "claims of sovereignty in competition".

Defending American interests in the Arctic

While the Roosevelt was sailing in the Gulf of Alaska, the F / A-18 Super Hornets was taking off and landing at a fast clip. Each takeoff is a complete bodily experience for those on deck, upsetting everything from shoes to teeth. The planes are launched by a steam catapult system powered by the ship's nuclear reactors.

Some of the jet planes flew more than 100 miles to the mainland Alaska, and continued on past mountain ranges to synchronize with their counterparts in the Air Force and Marine Corps operating in airspace around Eielson Air Base, near Fairbanks. Then they returned to Roosevelt. The trip takes about four hours.

To land, the Super Hornets suddenly jumped out of the sky by hanging a hook hooked to cables that brought them from full speed to full stop at 183 feet. It looked less like a car braking than a roller coaster still slamming to give the runners a last shake.

"We recover between 6 and 25 aircraft thanks to this recovery," cracked a voice on a speaker on the bridge. "I'm not sure yet [how many]. If they show up on the ball, we'll catch them. "

The bridge was coordinated with chaos, with crew members and planes performing complex maneuvers like a baroque ballet, throwing steam from launch equipment periodically parading past.

Deck crews are called "bowling" because they wear matching color uniforms to their work. Just like sweets, most of the rainbow is represented. Greens take charge of take-offs and landings. The Reds handle ammunition. Purples deal with fuel and are called "grapes".

The Navy says that, given what is currently expected of the region, the crews are trained and equipped to carry out their missions, as well as for the navy of any other country.

"Whatever the conditions: day, night, good weather, bad weather, flat sea, rough sea, it's the same procedure every time," said Dwyer about the jets taking off down, just like a helicopter landed on the flight deck.

A change of focus towards the "great north"

Speaking at the beginning of the Coast Guard Academy this year, National Security Advisor, John Bolton, said the army would play a "reaffirming" role for the US Coast Guard. US influence on the Arctic.

"We want the Far North to be a region of low tension and no country trying to force others by strengthening its military forces or exploiting its economy," Bolton told graduates.

The Trump Administration is expected to unveil a new strategy for the Arctic this June.

Forecasters predict that declining ice will reliably open up northern shipping lanes, which could reduce freight time and costs between Asia and Europe, resulting in increased shipping traffic .

The army is sincere that global warming is opening transit routes that the pack ice has long blocked. For now, the US naval presence is minimal.

"If you want to be a neighbor, you have to be in the neighborhood," said Vice Admiral John Alexander, commander of the 3rd Navy Fleet, responsible for the North Pacific, including the Bering Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Arctic Alaska.

"We will have to make sure that these waters pass freely and freely," said Alexander.

However, the Navy is facing significant challenges in strengthening its presence in a harsh maritime environment such as the Arctic. According to the GAO report, most Navy surface ships are not "designed to navigate icy waters".

The authors note that naval officials have stated that "the construction sites of subcontractors currently lack expertise in the design of the construction of surface combat ships and winterized amphibious warships, capable of resist the ice ".

After years of study, the Department of Defense has not yet chosen a location and design for a strategic port located near the Arctic and can permanently accommodate a strong presence of the Navy.

And even if you can operate in the Arctic, you must always go there. For now, the waters of the region are solidly frozen for much of the year. According to the coastguard, Russia has more than 40 icebreakers, including three new gargantuan nuclear-powered ships designed to use shipping routes along the northern shipping route. The US military, on the other hand, currently has only two active icebreakers.

This story comes from American Homefront, a project involving NPR members and veterans and member stations.