A combat air patrol of American and Canadian fighter jets were scrambled this week after multiple Russian warplanes were spotted in the Arctic, the North American Aerospace Defense Command reported. This marks the latest military incident to unfold in a region that is fast becoming a major geopolitical flashpoint.
The Russian aircraft, which remained in international airspace, were not seen as a threat, but eight military planes were dispatched to monitor their activity, NORAD said in a statement. Two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets and one refueling aircraft were launched from the Canadian NORAD region, while two U.S. F-35 fighter jets and two refueling aircraft tankers were launched from the Alaskan NORAD region. The Alaskan base also dispatched one E-3 airborne warning and control system plane, or AWAC, which the Air Force says “can detect, identify and track” enemy forces far from U.S. and NATO country boundaries.
Several hours later, NORAD said it also scrambled two F-16 fighter jets from Alaska to Greenland in order to “forward posture NORAD presence in the Arctic.” The command said that move was “not in response to any current threat.” The U.S. and Canadian jets were scrambled just weeks after four Russian warplanes were shadowed by NORAD aircraft after they flew near Alaska.
The Arctic Scramble
The Arctic is becoming a crucial region for almost all major countries, as the ice thaws and its vast mineral resources become accessible. Apart from its mineral wealth the region will also open up new acess trade routes. This has sparked a scramble between all major powers to be the first ones to manage control over the different spaces.
Donald Trump has already made his moves by calling for Greenland to become a part of the US as his son Don Trump Jr also visited the Arctic nation, which already has a major US military base. Trump realizes the growing importance of the region and wants to make a stake before other major powers move in. China too has been investing massively to achieve a foothold in the arctic.
Alarmed by these developments the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has taken off on a whirlwind tour around Europe to muster other European nations to join in and protect its assets as fears of Trump making some sweeping actions in the region has spooked Copenhagen. France has already indicated that it will help bolster the defences of Greenland with Denmark.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had expressed his desire to bring Greenland under American control, and he wouldn’t rule out using economic or military cohesion to do so. The autonomous Arctic territory of Denmark’s location makes it strategic for both economic and defense purposes. Recent months have seen Russia conducting extensive military drills within the Arctic to demonstrate its capabilities.
Reports indicated plans for large-scale exercises occurring between January 20 and January 31, under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin. The drills are part of Russia’s broader military engagement strategy, with hypersonic missile tests also reported earlier this year, marking advancements capable of evading traditional missile defense systems.
The state TASS news agency reported this week that Russia was currently conducting a variety of drills in the Arctic. “Between January 20 and January 31, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will be holding large-scale interdepartmental experiment and research exercise on instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the Russian emergencies ministry was quoted as saying.
The U.S. has warned Russia and China over their increasing military and economic operations in the Arctic. But both countries have defended their activities, with Beijing saying it acts on the “principles of respect, cooperation, mutual wins and sustainability,” and Moscow saying it “does its part to ensure that the Arctic does not become a territory of discord and tension.”
However with all these major global powers vying to cut out their own space in the Arctic, the region promises to become a major clash point in the near future. The prospective riches of the Arctic are so vast that these powerful nations will leave no stone unturned in making sure they manage to procure as much of it as possible, even at the cost of a clash with other huge powers.
Russia has had a long understanding of the Arctic and Putin is not willing to allow the US and other nations to ride roughshod over the region. One thing is almost certain, the Arctic may prove to be a major clash point for all these nations as none of them will be willing to forsake their stake at any cost.