The Arctic Debrief: US, UK, and Norway conduct joint air force exercise in Arctic

In this edition:

• US, UK, and Norway conduct joint air force exercise in Arctic
• Canada unveils Arctic Foreign Policy Strategy
• Arctic could have sea-ice free summer by 2027

Latest Developments

US, UK, and Norway conduct joint air force exercise in Arctic

What is beginning to look routine rather than an an exception, NATO allies conducted more military training in the Arctic. American, British, and Norwegian aircraft engaged in a joint exercise, titled Apex Buccaneer, in the Norwegian High North.

The exercise included Norwegian F-35 fighters and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft; American B-52 bomber, KC-135 Stratotankers, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and F-35 fighters; and British F-35s, Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, and a RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.

“The Arctic is a critical region for our collective security and global stability. Training with our Norwegian and UK Allies in this environment demonstrates our shared commitment to defending NATO’s northern flank and adapting to emerging threats," says General James Hecker, Commander of the US Air Force in Europe. "Fifth-generation platforms are pivotal to maintaining air superiority in contested spaces, and exercises like this showcase their unmatched capability."

Apex Buccaneer aims to improve interoperability of the participating nations' air forces, while acting as a deterrent to Russia. The joint forces worked together to detect, track, and neutralize a simulated enemy target on Norwegian territory.

Canada unveils Arctic Foreign Policy Strategy

The Canadian government released a "Arctic Foreign Policy Strategy" aimed at outlining and shaping the country's approach to the region. The strategy focuses on increasing diplomatic engagement in the region, protecting Canadian Arctic sovereignty through increased defence and collaboration with NATO allies.

The notion of a "North American Arctic," which encapsulates Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland, is introduced in the policy. The Canadian government will look to increase cooperation with its Arctic neighbors which includes the appointment of an Arctic ambassador and the opening of new consulates in Anchorage, Alaska, and Nuuk, Greenland.

As part of the strategy the Canadian government will look to invest in Arctic research, infrastructure and other aspects of the region. However, no new defence spending has been announced disappointing expectations that more funding will be allocated to bolster the region's security.

Working with the US and other Arctic allies, such improving cooperation in defence and to increasing intelligence sharing, is part of Canada's efforts to establish sovereignty over its Arctic region and to deter threats from Russia and China. The two latter nations are highlighted as the largest threats to the Canadian High North.

Arctic Ocean may have sea-ice free days by 2027

A recent study has found that the Arctic ocean could experience its first ice-free days as early as 2027. The study is based on a projection of global temperatures exceeding 2C.

Ice-free refers to when the the ocean has less than one million square kilometres of ice, but such a small amount of sea-ice would leave the majority of the ocean with large stretches of water that is easily traversable. According to the projection, most of the Arctic ocean, except some areas surrounding the Canadian territory of Nunavut, and parts of Greenland, would not see floating sea-ice.

The new study places a "ice-free Arctic" atleast a few decades ahead of previous predictions. While the author's state that this is a "worst-case scenario" and it is possible to prevent the raise of global temperatures, if major polluters are not reigned in, it is very possible that these predictions become reality.

Although receding sea-ice can open opportunities to an increase in Arctic shipping and natural resource extraction, it also leads to ever worsening climate conditions. In addition to the Arctic itself cooling the climate, the ice helps reflect some of the sun's rays.