What is the purpose of combat drones in the Arctic?

[Vladdracula]

It’s an open secret that the United States, Canada, Russia and the European Union pay much attention to the Arctic region. It makes perfect sense to me: the Arctic is very important strategic region filled with natural resources such as minerals, oil, gas, fish and so forth.

At the end of May this year Norwegian capital, Oslo, welcomed attendees of the international conference “Arctic Patrol and Reconnaissance”. Representatives of the USA, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland stayed in Radisson hotel to discuss situation and development of Arctic region.

Dr. Natalia Andreassen (researcher from High North Center, University of Nordland) showed the broad range of activities in Arctic: Intercontinental Arctic routes, Fisheries, Petroleum activity, Maritime tourism.

Captain Sakari Martimo from Finnish MoD answers the question WHY EU IN THE ARCTIC?

-Climate Change still a puzzle -> to gain better understanding

-Arctic’s economical importance growing -> worries on safety

-Strategic importance gradually growing -> worries on security

But I really don’t understand who they are going to protect

That’s strange but Finnish speaker says about human rights, freedom and democracy during his speech. And I have no idea where is the link between the huge ice-covered territory of polar bears and human right etc.

More pictures, pdf, and drones here^^ http://drakulablog.com/2015/08/10/drones_arctic/

 

[pwjohn]

All that text, and images too, without even peep about combat drones.

 

[Vladdracula]

All that text, and images too, without even peep about combat drones.

oh really? and what about “NASA Armstrong Flight Research Facility” and “Northrop Grumman Corporation” drones? read first the whole post and then write

 

[EverCurious]

Just as a note, the US has an entire state that is mostly classified as "arctic" and not only that, it's the only place that has every bodily been /captured/ by enemy forces. There's also a good reason that UPS has a major shipping hub in said local...

 

[waltky]

Obama sends Strykers north to Alaska...

Strykers Operate North of Arctic Circle for First Time
Nov 06, 2015 | Stryker armored attack vehicles were sent north of the Arctic Circle for the first time Tuesday as part of Operation Arctic Pegasus, an Army statement said.

Alaska's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team operated four Strykers for two days during the joint, multi-agency exercise involving the Air Force, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the North Slope Borough. An Air Force C-17 delivered the Strykers and about 40 soldiers to Deadhorse -- a town about 500 miles north of Fairbanks with a population of 50 and a small airport -- the statement said. The 1st Stryker Brigade regularly trains for rapid deployment to cold environments. Average winter temperatures in the area dip well below zero, with a record low of minus 57 Fahrenheit, the statement said. The wind-chill factor hit minus 96 in nearby Prudhoe Bay in 1989.

U.S. Army Alaska Strykers from Bravo Company, 3-21 Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, offload from a C-17 Globemaster above the Arctic Circle as part of Operation Arctic Pegasus at Deadhorse, Alaska​

There is growing interest from nations in the Arctic region, as global warming slowly melts ice sheets that could create easier access to petroleum, heavy metals and fisheries. Russia is particularly assertive in protecting its Arctic interests. It is building two infantry brigades in the region equipped with vehicles to move troops across snow.

Russia is also remilitarizing Wrangel Island off Siberia's northeast coast, directly across from Alaska, said Steve Gardner, academic director at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in California. A Russian radar installation began operations on the island in October 2014. U.S. Army Alaska hosts the Army's only two brigade combat teams trained to operate in extremely cold regions, the statement said. The Stryker was a mainstay during U.S. operations in Iraq and was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the 2009 "surge" order by President Barack Obama.

Strykers Operate North of Arctic Circle for First Time | Military.com

 

[Delta4Embassy]

It’s an open secret that the United States, Canada, Russia and the European Union pay much attention to the Arctic region. It makes perfect sense to me: the Arctic is very important strategic region filled with natural resources such as minerals, oil, gas, fish and so forth.

At the end of May this year Norwegian capital, Oslo, welcomed attendees of the international conference “Arctic Patrol and Reconnaissance”. Representatives of the USA, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland stayed in Radisson hotel to discuss situation and development of Arctic region.

Dr. Natalia Andreassen (researcher from High North Center, University of Nordland) showed the broad range of activities in Arctic: Intercontinental Arctic routes, Fisheries, Petroleum activity, Maritime tourism.

Captain Sakari Martimo from Finnish MoD answers the question WHY EU IN THE ARCTIC?

-Climate Change still a puzzle -> to gain better understanding

-Arctic’s economical importance growing -> worries on safety

-Strategic importance gradually growing -> worries on security

But I really don’t understand who they are going to protect

That’s strange but Finnish speaker says about human rights, freedom and democracy during his speech. And I have no idea where is the link between the huge ice-covered territory of polar bears and human right etc.

More pictures, pdf, and drones here^^ http://drakulablog.com/2015/08/10/drones_arctic/

Been massing military forces there ever since Russia planted their flag on the seabed trying to claim the oil field as their's. Given global warming is melting the surface ice making the oil accessible, I wonder if gw isn't by-design.

 

[waltky]

Russia wants to share the Arctic...

US Surprised by Russia's Willingness to Share Arctic Plans: Admiral
Nov 20, 2015 | There may be a Cold War-like chill in Congress these days with recent Russian interventions into Crimea and Syria, but in a place where cold -- very cold -- temperatures is the norm, U.S. and Russian relations appear far warmer.

The Defense Department's senior oceanographer and navigator told two subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that Russia has been open with the U.S. on its activities in the Arctic and has shown no intention of encroaching on areas of U.S. sovereignty. "I can give you the Navy and the Department of Defense perspective on" Russian activities in the Arctic, Rear Adm. Timothy C. Gallaudet told lawmakers. While the Navy does keep an eye on the Greenland, Iceland and U.K. gap -- long a route used by Russian submarines -- he said, "We also see that Russia has not made any attempts to violate our territorial seas." The Russians have remained in compliance with Bering Strait maritime boundaries established in 1990, he said.

A Russian aircraft-carrier during military exercises of the North Fleet in August 2005 in the Barents Sea​

Gallaudet told the joint hearing of Western Hemisphere Subcommittee and the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee that during a visit earlier this month to St. Petersburg, the Russian navy opened up its own maps of the Arctic seafloor and officials detailed development plans for Russia's own sovereign areas. "The Russians were very, very open about their intentions in the Arctic," he said. "They intend to develop it economically [and] their security, their growth in there, their military is designed primarily for that -- to provide security for that economic growth on the northern sea route. "We were quite amazed that they were so forthright and open in sharing hydrographic data with us and encouraging cooperation," he added. "They basically see the Arctic as the one region the rest of the world might work with them on, in view of their aggression in Crimea."

Retired Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp, now the U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic -- an appointment by the State Department -- told the joint panel that Russia has a longer history in the Arctic and are "much more connected to the Arctic than we are. "Russia has half the coast line around the Arctic Ocean, so it's understandable when they have a larger population than us and the waterway is open more than ours has been for centuries, that they're going to have more activity up there," he added. "So they're doing legitimate things … they should be doing as an Arctic nation and preparing for increased human activities." The U.S. should be doing the same, Papp said.

US Surprised by Russia's Willingness to Share Arctic Plans: Admiral | Military.com

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Protecting Santa from ISIS.