In August, 2020, the Russian Navy conducted major war games in the Bering Sea, what its chief, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov referred to as “massive drills… for the first time ever… building up our forces to ensure the economic development of the region.” With the involvement of more than 50 ships, 40 aircraft, multiple cruise missile launches and even an Omsk nuclear submarine which surfaced near Alaska, the Russian exercises drew the careful attention and response of the U.S. Northern Command, the U;S; Coast Guard and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which sent fighter jets to intercept Russian maritime patrol aircraft flying in close proximity to Alaska. According to an AP News report, NORAD’s commander, General VanHerck stated: “This year, we’ve conducted more than a dozen intercepts, the most in recent years. The importance of our continued efforts to project air defense operations in and through the north has never been more apparent.” It is also apparent that the Arctic will only continue to grow as an area of increasingly intense competition as both the United States and Russia seek to expand their military and commercial presence in the region.
Pamela Berkowsky is former government official with expertise in disaster preparedness and response. She served in senior positions in the Pentagon, including the Department of the Navy, and is president of Blue Sapphire Strategies, a boutique public affairs business consultancy. As a Senior Executive Defense Consultant to the South Florida Defense Alliance, Pamela Berkowsky focuses on defense innovation and resiliency issues, including the impact of climate change on military installations, personnel and operations. There is little dispute that melting sea ice is creating new Arctic sea routes that will link major trading ports and open new territories for tourism. The melting ice is also enabling commercial exploration of the region’s rich resources; it is believed the Arctic may hold up to a quarter of the world’s undiscovered oil and untapped gas reserves, not to mention substantial gold, zinc, and platinum reserves. Insofar as these resources and their strategic location make the Arctic vital to US interests and national security, it is also becoming a new geographic focus of military competition with Russia, which has heavily invested in its own commercial presence and military capabilities in the region.
In August, 2020, the Russian Navy conducted major war games in the Bering Sea, what its chief, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov referred to as “massive drills… for the first time ever… building up our forces to ensure the economic development of the region.” With the involvement of more than 50 ships, 40 aircraft, multiple cruise missile launches and even an Omsk nuclear submarine which surfaced near Alaska, the Russian exercises drew the careful attention and response of the U.S. Northern Command, the U;S; Coast Guard and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which sent fighter jets to intercept Russian maritime patrol aircraft flying in close proximity to Alaska. According to an AP News report, NORAD’s commander, General VanHerck stated: “This year, we’ve conducted more than a dozen intercepts, the most in recent years. The importance of our continued efforts to project air defense operations in and through the north has never been more apparent.” It is also apparent that the Arctic will only continue to grow as an area of increasingly intense competition as both the United States and Russia seek to expand their military and commercial presence in the region.
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AuthorA resident of the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2002, Pamela B. Berkowsky took her most recent governmental management role in 2007, becoming Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. John de Jongh Jr. Thriving in this position, in which she managed daily Government House and Cabinet operations and policy development and implementation, she was promoted to Chief of Staff in 2011. Archives
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