The Arctic Debrief: USS Harry S. Truman strike group participates in Arctic field training

In this edition:

• USS Harry S. Truman strike group participates in Arctic field training
• Russian warship modernization efforts stalled by Western sanctions
• Polar Icebreaker agreement signed by Canada, Finland, and US

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Latest Developments

USS Harry S. Truman strike group participates in Arctic field training

The entirety of the US Carrier Strike Group 8 is set to conduct military training alongside the Royal Norwegian Air Force in the Arctic region.

"It is a powerful force we now get to practice with, which also demonstrates our allies’ ability and willingness to defend Norwegian areas of interest in the north,” said Colonel Ole Marius Tørrisplass, Chief of the 132nd Air Wing of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

The training exercise includes 65 American aircraft and Norwegian F-35s from Ørland Air Station in Northern Norway. The 65 US aircraft, part of the Carrier Air Wing One which is assigned to the USS Truman, are mostly fighter jets but also includes helicopters and other support aircraft.

Although Norway has made recent expansions to its air force, bringing the current total of their F-35s to 40, with plans to reach 52 by the summer of 2025.

The training is taking place near Vestfjorden, a fjord nestled between Bodø and the Lofoten archipelago. This is a crucial area for both Nordic and North Atlantic air and navy operations, it was previously used for NATO's Nordic Response military exercise in 2022 and 2024, and the Arctic Challenge Exercise, a biannual Nordic air force drill.

Russian warship modernization efforts stalled by Western sanctions

Russia's Kirov-class battle cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, which has been under repairs since 1997, was set to begin sea trials in November 2024 and now may be abandoned entirely, according to a Russian news outlet.

Original plans for the ship's modernization indicated that it would be ready to join the Northern Fleet by 2018, however, repeated delays have pushed that date to to fall 2024, until this month when it was reported that the project might be "postponed indefinitely." The ship was originally built for the Soviet Navy and commissioned in 1988.

The refitting project sought to upgrade nearly all weapons and auxiliary systems on the Russian battlecruiser, but the necessary technology became difficult to source due to Western sanctions. The Kremlin holds the stance that its military industry is unaffected by sanctions, but as its war in Ukraine extends into its third year the claim is failing to stand.

This is not the only ship that Russia has been struggling to repair. Pyotr Velikiy, a sister vessel of the Admiral Nakhimov, has also been out of service for a number of years in Severmorsk, the city that hosts Russia's Northern Fleet.

Russia's Soviet-era aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is perhaps the most well-known problem-riddled vessel, which has been under going upgrades since 2017. The ship suffered multiple delays, including an accident which saw a construction crane collapse and puncture a massive hole in the ship's hull.

Polar Icebreaker agreement signed by Canada, Finland, and US

US, Canada, and Finland have signed a new partnership agreement to cooperate on the production of Arctic icebreakers.

This will enhance the industry collaboration, coordinate expertise, and strengthen their ability to produce polar vessels, according to a Nov. 13 press release from the Government of Canada. The shipbuilding industries of all three nations have extensive experience in constructing polar icebreakers.

"The warming Arctic is becoming increasingly navigable and opening a new arena of competition that our adversaries are eager to exploit," reads the statement. "In response to these challenges, Canada must assert its Arctic sovereignty and work alongside allies to protect its interests in the North."

As the Arctic becomes increasingly pivotal to the security strategies of Western allies, concerns have been raised over their rather small icebreaker fleets and the lack of nuclear icebreakers (currently Russia is the only country that operates such vessels). However, the production of ice-capable and icebreaking ships has been increased over the last few years.

As for nuclear icebreakers, while they have clear advantages over diesel-powered ships, countries like Canada and the US have different needs and goals compared to Russia and currently do not need them.

Apologies for the delay of this issue of The Arctic Debrief. I have been testing a few send days/times to see what works best. At the moment I believe the newsletter will go out Sundays at noon. If you have feedback on anything related to the Arctic Pod feel free to contact me at news@arcticpod.co or on my Patreon.