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"America’s Military Trails Russia and China in Race for the Melting Arctic"

"U.S. is competing with a partnership between the two countries but has fewer icebreakers and ports, and less experience"

The Wall Street Journal reports on competition between the United States, Russia and China for influence and control over the Arctic.

"... [I]n the Bering Sea last fall, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball spotted seven Chinese and Russian vessels steaming ... in a double line near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. ... [T]he main Chinese ship [was] the Nanchang, one of a new class of cruiser-destroyers that can launch more than 100 guided missiles. The Russian and Chinese ships, ... on a joint exercise, sailed north and east into U.S. waters, sending an unmistakable message about the region’s strategic value to Moscow and Beijing .... [T]he U.S. is ... adding ... polar icebreakers ... [with] just one [U.S.] icebreaker in the region for only part of the year, compared with three dozen owned by Russia. ... China ... has the world’s largest navy .... While the U.S. has a qualitative edge with more-advanced warships, including a larger aircraft-carrier fleet, China is building them more quickly ...."

Click here for: "America’s Military Trails Russia and China in Race for the Melting Arctic; U.S. is competing with a partnership between the two countries but has fewer icebreakers and ports, and less experience" - WSJ 7.31.23 - SCW Newswatch

Key Words: Arctic, Alaska, China, Russia, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard

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