https://sputnikglobe.com/20240715/us-attempts-to-threaten-russia-in-arctic-wont-be-a-cakewalk-1119381320.html
US Attempts to Threaten Russia in Arctic Won’t Be a Cakewalk
US Attempts to Threaten Russia in Arctic Won’t Be a Cakewalk
Sputnik International
Whether the latest effort by the US, Canada and Finland to build a fleet of icebreakers to challenge Russo-Chinese cooperation in the Arctic will succeed is a fairly complicated question, says Alexander Vorotnikov, coordinator of Russia’s Project Office for the Development of the Arctic.
2024-07-15T17:30+0000
2024-07-15T17:30+0000
2024-07-16T08:33+0000
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On one hand, he notes, Finland has considerable experience building icebreaker hulls – in fact, a number of Soviet and Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker hulls were built at Finnish shipyards – while the United States has the technology and experience needed to construct nuclear propulsion systems. On the other hand, this project faces some not inconsiderable hurdles.“Firstly, it’s personnel. In order to make all this, you need personnel,” Vorotnikov says, pointing out that building nuclear icebreakers is one thing but training skilled personnel is another. “Secondly, it’s technologies: the Americans have [nuclear] propulsion systems for aircraft carriers, but adapting them for icebreakers would be a whole different matter.”While the United States should have enough money to finance this project, the US economy slowing down, as well as the current geopolitical situation, does not help this icebreaker construction venture.Meanwhile, this trilateral pact between the US, Canada and Finland aimed at challenging Russia and China in the Arctic is not going to benefit anyone, Vorotnikov warns. According to him, Russia would not be able to ignore threats to its security and attempts to disrupt its plans in the Arctic. “So, we are going to have to pay considerable attention to our defense capabilities,” Vorotnikov remarks.He also notes that Russia possesses unparalleled knowledge of the Arctic (thanks to all the research expeditions that started during the Soviet era) which, coupled with the prospects of establishing drone bases in the region, would make a confrontation with Russia in the Arctic a very challenging prospect.“When the Cold War started, the USSR constructed ‘ice airfields’ in the Arctic in order to bring in aircraft and pilots to shoot down anyone who might fly to us, because the Arctic is the shortest route to us [from North America] via the North Pole,” Vorotnikov says.Thus, he suggests, Russia might establish air bases in the Arctic, just like the aforementioned ‘ice airfields’ but equipped with drones instead of manned aircraft.“Bring drones there, which could be used as a counterbalance for our opponents,” Vorotnikov explains.*Alexander Vorotnikov is an Associate Professor of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, coordinator of the Expert Council of the Expert Center PORA (Arctic Development Project Office)
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240517/why-does-deepening--russia-china-arctic-partnership-bother-nato-1118496230.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240601/how-northern-fleet-guards-russias-arctic-as-new-cold-war-heats-up-1118740169.html
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US Attempts to Threaten Russia in Arctic Won’t Be a Cakewalk
17:30 GMT 15.07.2024 (Updated: 08:33 GMT 16.07.2024) Whether the latest effort by the US, Canada and Finland to build a fleet of icebreakers to challenge Russo-Chinese cooperation in the Arctic will succeed is a fairly complicated question, says Alexander Vorotnikov*, coordinator of the Expert Council of the Expert Center PORA (Arctic Development Project Office)
On one hand, he notes, Finland has considerable experience building icebreaker hulls – in fact, a number of Soviet and Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker hulls were built at Finnish shipyards – while the United States has the technology and experience needed to construct nuclear propulsion systems.
On the other hand, this project faces some not inconsiderable hurdles.
“Firstly, it’s personnel. In order to make all this, you need personnel,” Vorotnikov says, pointing out that building nuclear icebreakers is one thing but training skilled personnel is another. “Secondly, it’s technologies: the Americans have [nuclear] propulsion systems for aircraft carriers, but adapting them for icebreakers would be a whole different matter.”
While the
United States should have enough money to finance this project, the US economy slowing down, as well as the current geopolitical situation, does not help this icebreaker construction venture.
Meanwhile, this trilateral pact between the US,
Canada and Finland aimed at challenging Russia and China in the Arctic is not going to benefit anyone, Vorotnikov warns. According to him, Russia would not be able to ignore threats to its security and attempts to disrupt its plans in the Arctic.
He also notes that Russia possesses unparalleled knowledge of the Arctic (thanks to all the research expeditions that started during the Soviet era) which, coupled with the prospects of establishing drone bases in the region, would make a confrontation with Russia in the
Arctic a very challenging prospect.
“When the Cold War started, the USSR constructed ‘ice airfields’ in the Arctic in order to bring in aircraft and pilots to shoot down anyone who might fly to us, because the Arctic is the shortest route to us [from North America] via the North Pole,” Vorotnikov says.
Thus, he suggests, Russia might establish air bases in the Arctic, just like the aforementioned ‘ice airfields’ but equipped with drones instead of manned aircraft.
“Bring drones there, which could be used as a counterbalance for our opponents,” Vorotnikov explains.
*Alexander Vorotnikov is an Associate Professor of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, coordinator of the Expert Council of the Expert Center PORA (Arctic Development Project Office)
