Sullivan Secures Timeline for Arctic Plan of Action to Respond to Russian Military Build-Ups
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) used his position on the Armed Services Committee last week to expose the United States’ lack of military plans and action in the Arctic. This announcement comes as the Associated Press reports yesterday that Russia is launching a major training exercise in the Arctic involving 38,000 servicemen, more than 50 surface ships and submarines and 110 aircraft. Throughout last week, Sen. Sullivan questioned the wisdom of possible troop reductions in Alaska, highlighted the need for more U.S. icebreakers, and once again pressed senior military officials about their lack of strategic plans for the Arctic.
Arctic Operations Plan:
In the committee’s final hearing of the week, Sen. Sullivan received word that U.S. Northern Command, led by U.S. Navy Admiral Gortney, will issue an Arctic Operations Plan later this spring. This long-awaited plan is desperately needed as it should drive what force structure is needed in Alaska as Russia further militarizes their side of the Arctic with ground forces, as alluded to by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, earlier this month.
“As you know [the Russians] are building new airfields in the Arctic. They have a new Arctic Command,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Gen. Dempsey testified last week that four new combat brigades are being deployed by the Russians in the Arctic. A huge icebreaker fleet with as many as 11 more new icebreakers. So they are clearly seen as a strategic area…My concern is that we’re well behind the Russians in…a growing area of military competition.”
In written testimony, both Commanders of NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM testified on how the Russian are attempting to challenge U.S. leadership and influence using “Cold War-tactics.” In fact, Admiral Gortney testified that “Russian heavy bombers flew more out-of-area patrols in 2014 than in any year since the Cold War.”
Possible Troop Draw Down:
In a Committee hearing last week, Sen. Sullivan pressed key Navy leaders, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief Naval Officer Admiral John W. Greenert, on the wisdom of reducing strategic force structure in Alaska and the need for increased U.S. Navy presence in the Arctic, including Navy icebreakers.
"When you look at what the Russians are doing in the Arctic, it is actually quite impressive – impressive, but disturbing," Sen. Sullivan said.
"The Russians are looking at adding four new combat brigades in the Arctic as our U.S. Army is thinking of pulling them out of there," he said. "I think that would give Vladimir Putin a lot of joy. They are building 13 new airfields and conducting long-range air patrols off the coast of Alaska." Senator Sullivan added that the Russians are “all-in in the Arctic and it’s not 13-pages of paper. It’s concrete, it’s ships, it’s airfields, and we’re thinking about removing forces from Alaska.”
In response, Secretary Mabus remarked that “As the ice melts in the Arctic, our responsibilities clearly are going up.” He went on to say that due to budget cuts, the Navy does not “have the capability [it] would like to have in the Arctic.”
Navy’s Need for Icebreakers:
On the issue of building additional icebreakers – possibly being built by the U.S. Navy – Sen. Sullivan pressed Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Thomas Dee about getting a non-bureaucratic answer over whether it is in the national security interests of the United States – given the developments in the Arctic – to have an additional icebreaker, regardless of whether the Navy or Coast Guard owns it.
“I’m not interested in whose budget [a potential icebreaker] is…. The issue of national security is everyone’s issue,” Sen. Sullivan said. Undersecretary Dee committed to responding to Senator Sullivan’s request.
Senator Sullivan also pressed USMC Lt. General Glueck on the Marines Corps’ new 10-year plan for its future force and how it did not have “a single sentence on the Arctic.” Lt. General Glueck assured Sen. Sullivan that the Marines Corps would update that plan in the next few months and “put some attention on” the Arctic.
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