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In the decades following the collapse of the Soviet Union the Arctic was largely a strategic and geopolitical afterthought. Too remote and environmentally hostile for anything but fishing, resource extraction, and indigenous economics, conventional military threats in the theater were improbable. In fact, Canadian [/COLOR]
General Walter Natynczyk[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.88)]
told the Canadian Senate Committee on National Security and Defense in 2010 that, were the Canadian Arctic to be invaded, his “first challenge is search and rescue to help them out.”[/COLOR]
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In the decade since those comments, permafrost melted into swamps and the ice pack receded. Simultaneously, Russia refurbished and revitalized military infrastructure in the Arctic alongside combined economic investments with China. Unanswered, these Russian developments could shift the balance of power in the Arctic.
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Unfortunately, US special operations forces lack the expertise to meet near-peer adversaries in the Arctic. While special operations forces continue investing in Arctic capability, current adaptations will not close the gap between US forces and their adversaries. With ice-free summers projected to begin by 2030 and Arctic shipping seasons projected to swell into the late spring and late autumn in the same decade, Arctic-trained and Arctic-ready special operations forces are no longer just nice, but necessary.
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To close this gap, US special operations forces must establish a permanent detachment in Alaska. This detachment will facilitate rotational training deployments, while also forming the core of an Arctic special operations headquarters. Ft. Richardson’s littoral location, proximity to a diversity of Arctic environments, and existing support infrastructure make it an ideal location for such a detachment.
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Beginning with rotational deployments to Ft. Richardson, special operations forces will synchronize with United States Army Alaska (USARAK) and Alaskan Command to close the gap by acclimatizing units. The psychological effects of midnight sun and polar night, environmental constraints on tactical deployments, and force-wide unfamiliarity with Arctic tactics including mobility, SERE, and logistics present significant challenges. Infrastructure already in use by USARAK, such as the Northern Warfare Training Center at Ft. Wainwright and the Black-Rapids Training Area will complement and enhance the depth of training of SOF. By acclimatizing, special operators will challenge [/COLOR]
adversaries[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.88)]
who have not only significant expertise in Arctic warfare, but also emphasize this expertise as a facet of their military and national culture.[/COLOR]