Posted on 06/11/2008 3:11:48 PM PDT by blam
Russia plans Arctic military build-up
By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
Last Updated: 10:49PM BST 11/06/2008
Russia has raised the stakes in the international scramble for the Arctic by announcing it will boost its military presence in the region to protect its "national interests". The defence ministry said naval vessels would be sent to the Arctic Ocean, which is believed to be home to 25 percent of the world's untapped energy resources, as part of a Summer training zone.
Gen Vladimir Shamanov, the head of the combat training directorate, stated that Russia had "highly trained military units" prepared for Arctic warfare.
He revealed that Russia would expand its naval presence in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as part of a strategy to flex the country's growing military might on the world stage.
"The summer training programme envisions the increased presence of the Russian navy not only in the Atlantic but also in the Arctic and the Pacific," Gen Shamanov said. "We are also planning to increase the operational radius of the Northern Fleet's submarines."
The West has become increasingly concerned by Russia's determination to flex its military muscle in international waters and airspace.
Disquiet over the Kremlin's intent in the Arctic is likely to grow still further after Gen Shamanov, a prominent military hawk who was accused of war crimes in Chechnya, suggested that the focus of Russia's military strategy would shift towards "protecting national interests" in the Arctic.
Russia had the capability, he said, to defend its claim to roughly half of the Arctic Ocean – including the North Pole.
"We have a number of highly professional military units in the Leningrad, Siberian and Far Eastern military districts which are specifically trained for combat in the Arctic regions," he said.
Russian assertiveness in the sensitive region was again on display yesterday when Nato jets shadowed two Russian bombers, designed for anti-submarine warfare, on a reconnaissance mission close to the North Pole.
While the Kremlin attracted international criticism after a titanium Russian flag was planted on the sea bed underneath the North Pole last year, other countries with an Arctic shoreline have been accused of playing an equally aggressive role in militarizing the region.
Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, last year ordered military ships to the Arctic amid growing tensions with both the United States and Russia over competing territorial claims in the region.
Russia, the United States and Canada have also announced plans to build nuclear icebreakers to defend their Arctic interests.
US naval vessels and British nuclear submarines held joint war games in the Arctic Ocean last year, a development that aroused suspicion in Moscow.
The five nations with Arctic Ocean coastlines – Russia, Canada, the United States, Denmark and Norway – all have sometimes overlapping claims to Arctic territory that exceeds maritime borders fixed by international law.
A United Nations commission has been established to study the legitimacy of the claims. The issue has taken on added urgency as global warming causes the ice in the Arctic to melt, thereby raising the realistic prospect of harnessing the ocean's energy treasure trove for the first time.
Russia, already the world's largest energy producer, has the longest coastline of the Arctic nations and therefore has filed the biggest claim.
Despite occasional outbreaks of imperialist rhetoric, the Kremlin has consistently promised not to colonize the Arctic unilaterally and has pledged to abide by international adjudication on its territorial rights in the region.
“stated that Russia had “highly trained military units” “
Hey Tovarich - bring plenty of vodka - its cold up there.
Ruso-Canadian war of 2012 - Here we come.
Hmmm, the whiteman is stealing more Eskimo land?
Well, given the libscum and Donk attitude toward exploiting US energy sources, it might be better for US citizens if Russia claims the territories, adds supply to the world oil and gas markets, and thereby brings down energy prices for us all. /only partly sarc
Let’s see...
The US shouldn’t be involved as the “green revolution” should be full swing, according to Barbara Boxer.
Maybe we should just cede our interests to the Russians and the Canadians, we don’t need oil or gas, just bikes and tofu.
I don’t think so:
http://holamun2.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/semperfidelis.jpg
http://www.military.cz/usa/navy/uss/carriers/stennis/jcs_battlegroup.jpg
http://www.mnc.com/images/SeaWolf.jpg
What war? Canada is just starting to rebuild it’s military after years of liberal deterioration. We are mulling destroying ours.
The Russians have enough leftovers laying around to push Canada down to Vermont.
We might as well let them have it all. By listing the polar bear as “threatened” Bush as put the whole Arctic off limits to any sort of development and energy-and-resource extraction.It is up to the Russians to get the oil and gas out up there and there is a lot of it.
Don’t worry, Obama will stand up to the Russians and protect North America’s Arctic interests. You bet he will. I hear Russian Admirals quake in fear and break out in tears at the mere mention of his name.
If anything they should be industrializing East Siberia
Oil/gas resource development is very difficult when bombs are falling. The only entity more capable of blocking resource development is Congress.
The Chinese will when they take control of Siberia.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
