Reframing the Threat: Is Alaska a Weak Link or the Cornerstone of US Power?
Recent Russian commentary has reignited debate on Alaska’s role in American defense, this time, not as a besieged “weakest vein,” but as a litmus test for whether the US can sustain military primacy and alliance leadership in an era of great power competition.
Amid warnings from Moscow that recent flights of the Su-57 stealth fighter near Alaskan airspace exposed vulnerabilities, a bigger story is unfolding: both the US and its rivals are rapidly escalating the competition for Arctic dominance, leveraging Alaska’s strategic position as both shield and spear.
The Alaska Dilemma: Fortress, Outpost or Achilles’ Heel?
Alaska remains home to two of the most important US Air Force bases: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, hosting fleets of F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs. These are the vanguard of American airpower in the north.
Yet, Russia’s recent posturing including flights of advanced Su-57 platforms and the deployment of strategic bombers has foregrounded the logistical and technological burdens on US forces operating in an extreme environment.
The Radar and Early Warning Debate
The US has postponed new purchases of the E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C, leaving Alaska reliant on aging E-3 Sentry platforms developed in the 1970s.
The E-7, with advanced 360-degree surveillance and superior stealth-jet tracking, would have significantly modernized US situational awareness, crucial in Arctic conditions where ground radars are limited and weather is harsh.
This has led to claims amplified in Russian media that the US now faces a gap in early warning coverage, especially in vast, remote spaces where sensor gaps may exist.
The Logistics and Supply Challenge
Harsh terrain, extreme cold, and vast distances make resupplying, maintaining, and rapidly deploying assets far more demanding in Alaska than in other theaters. Russian analysts portray this as a persistent operational “soft spot.”
However, the US military’s ongoing infrastructure investments and Arctic exercises suggest a much more nuanced picture: while challenges exist, preparations are active and continuous.
Rather than a static “weakest point,” Alaska is becoming the epicenter of US adaptation and innovation in Arctic warfare. Alaska regularly hosts exercises like Red Flag-Alaska and REFORPAC, involving thousands of US and allied airmen from Japan, South Korea, Canada, and others.
These exercises simulate multi-front, high-intensity conflicts, improving readiness, interoperability, and logistical resilience against complex, near-peer threats.
The recently deployed Long Range Discrimination Radar and ballistic missile tracking systems in Alaska provide enhanced capabilities to detect and track missile threats including advanced Russian and Chinese assets well before they reach US airspace.
Arctic Forward Operating Bases: American and Canadian fighter deployments to forward stations most recently in Greenland demonstrate the ability to rapidly project and sustain airpower in austere, Arctic settings, countering the threat of simultaneous attacks from Russia and China.
The Russia-China Arctic Playbook: Real Threat, or Strategic Messaging?
Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic ranging from long-range bomber patrols to joint naval and air exercises signals a willingness to challenge American dominance in the High North.
Their cooperation raises the possibility of a two-axis squeeze on Alaska, but also serves as diplomatic messaging: to deter, probe gaps, and force the US and its partners to stretch their resources.
Arctic Competition Is Escalating for Everyone
Alaska’s supposed “weakness” is forcing the US to innovate the environment demands new tactics, robust supply chains, and relentless training.
Russia and China are probing, but the US is responding: Far from neglect, US investment in Alaska’s defenses and allied interoperability is deepening in response to the rising tempo of Russian and Chinese pressure.
Alaska is not simply America’s Achilles’ heel—it is a proving ground for how 21st-century airpower, alliances, and strategy adapt to new challenges. As Russia and China test the limits, the US and its allies have turned Alaska into both shield and sentinel. The race for Arctic influence is real and increasingly, what happens over Alaska’s skies may shape the balance of power far beyond the polar circle.