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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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The United States is conducting its annual Arctic-themed military drill in Alaska to bolster its ability to defend North America amid the persistent threat posed by neighboring Russia.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense and foreign ministries for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Moscow maintains a strong presence in the Arctic—a rising geopolitical frontier between Russia and the West—through the construction of military outposts, the deployment of military aircraft near Alaska's airspace and cooperative activities with its quasi-ally China.
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Last summer, the U.S. military released its updated Arctic strategy, calling for an increased presence in the region, which is now more accessible because of climate change. More recently, U.S. and Canadian fighter jets staged a show of force over an Alaskan island near the Russian border.
What To Know
A joint and combined field training exercise, code-named Arctic Edge 2025, commenced on Friday and took place at multiple locations across Alaska. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command are conducting the drill.
Besides U.S. forces, the exercise—scheduled to conclude at the end of this month—involves participation from the United Kingdom, Denmark and U.S. interagency partners, including the FBI and Alaskan state and local law enforcement.
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The defensive war game seeks to improve readiness and demonstrate capabilities in the Arctic, according to the U.S. Northern Command. Its key objectives include detecting, tracking and engaging "advanced cruise missile threats" in the northern approaches.
The Tu-95MS bomber—one of the Russian aircraft that approached Alaska—is capable of carrying six to 16 cruise missiles, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Russian submarines stationed in the Far East are also capable of launching cruise missiles.
Meanwhile, the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies—the Pentagon's regional center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska—announced on July 30 that it had hosted the Arctic Operational Risk Course for U.S. and Canadian forces for the first time.
The course—organized from July 14 to 18—sought to deepen operational preparedness in the Arctic while advancing U.S. homeland defense objectives by providing new tools to anticipate and mitigate risks in "one of the world's most complex operating environments," the center said.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Northern Command said in a news release on July 28: "ARCTIC EDGE is an annual defense exercise designed to demonstrate engaged forces that are postured and ready to assure, deter, and defend North America in an increasingly complex Arctic security environment."
The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies said in a news release on July 30: "The [Arctic Operational Risk Course] is built around applied learning: expert-led panels, case studies, and breakout sessions centered on real-world scenarios drawn from Alaska and the broader Arctic region."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Russian military will deploy aircraft or vessels near Alaska during Exercise Arctic Edge 2025 to demonstrate its ability to operate in the frigid region.
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