At first glance what might seem to be a relatively minor administrative move is, in fact, a major geopolitical effort to increase American influence in the region. Obama’s call for increased ice breakers is a direct call to counter increasing Russian influence in the Arctic Circle.
The Arctic has become increasingly important on the world stage as countries seek to expand their influence in the region. So far the United States appears to be lagging behind some rivals like Russia, even in spite of the American foothold in Alaska.
Interestingly, the stage for the Arctic showdown is actually being set by another one of Obama’s arch-nemeses: global warming. As Arctic ice has retreated, allegedly due to global warming, tourism and marine traffic in the Arctic Circle has increased.
Obama has cited this growth in human activity in the region as one of the chief reasons for the United States to expand its influence via new icebreakers. The United States has the equivalent of only two fully functional icebreakers in the region, while Russia has 41 with 11 more on the way.
Even China is getting in on the game, having unveiled one icebreaker in 2012, and having announced efforts to build another ship. So far, however, American authorities have largely ignored the growing ice breaker “race.”
For now, Obama’s proposed efforts are relatively modest — seeking an increase in the launch date for a new ice breaker from 2022 to 2020. The Obama administration has also called for an increase in the ice breaker fleet size, but the extent of this increase remains unclear.
Besides ice breaking ships, Russia has also begun to build up its military forces near Alaska and the Arctic Circle.
During Obama’s recent visit to Alaska state governor Bill Walker noted that the U.S. is drawing down its military presence in the state just as Russians have begun to build up their close proximity forces. Walker also traveled to the Pentagon this past June to argue for the importance of a strong troop presence in Alaska.
