World

Russia Plans Arctic Security Force

by Rachel Nixon | March 27, 2009 at 10:42 am

327 views | 34 Recommendations | 7 comments

Russia has said it will set up a military force to protects its interests in the Arctic.

Moscow says it expects the Arctic is likely to become its main resource base by 2020 and is therefore establishing troops "capable of ensuring military security" in the region.

The unit will be known as the Arctic Group of Forces and will be under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federal Security Service and deployed by 2020. Its missions will include stemming illegal immigration and drug trafficking as well as environmental protection, although it also would be involved in delineating the Arctic Shelf "with respect to Russia's national interests."

The fight for the Arctic is becoming ever more heated. Russia, Denmark, Canada, Norway and the US all have an Arctic coastline and dispute sovereignty over parts of the region.

The Arctic is one of the few remaining places on Earth not to have had its resources - oil, gas and minerals - tapped.

Following Russia's announcement, Canada restated its own Arctic claims and said it would defend its territories and waters to the North.

"Canada is an Arctic power," Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, said in an email to AFP.

"The government is engaged in protecting the security of Canada and in exercising its sovereignty in the North, including Canadian waters," she said.

Loubier pointed to the planned acquisition of Arctic patrol vessels, construction of a deep water port and eavesdropping network in the region, annual military exercises and boosting the number Inuit Arctic rangers keeping on eye on goings-on along its northern frontier.

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sara star

at 14:23 on March 27th, 2009

I can't see how Canada can win? Not alone. Scarey.

I think the United Nations should own it.

Roy C

at 17:17 on March 27th, 2009

I think Canada should own it.

mudricky

at 14:32 on March 27th, 2009

Can see this causing a lot of problems in years to come. Who would have though it.

sara star

at 14:36 on March 27th, 2009

Canada won't be bullied speech.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper later warned of "increasingly aggressive Russian actions around the globe and Russian intrusions into our airspace."

In Ottawa on Monday, a Russian diplomat said Canada reacted to the incident with what he called a "deplorable" Cold War mentality.

Since Canada unveiled its strategy for the polar region in a 2007 throne speech, the government has committed to strengthening Canada's own military infrastructure.

It has created a military training centre in the region and beefed up the capacity of Canada's Arctic Rangers.

Ottawa has also moved to increase the jurisdiction of Canadian environmental law over northern waters and made it mandatory for foreign ships to register with the Canadian Coast Guard.

72JAG

at 15:39 on March 27th, 2009

It is entirely ignorant of the human race to open up the arctic mostly due to our burning of fossil fuels and then to go into it and mine for more fossil fuels; are we an intelligent species?

Paschen

at 17:24 on March 27th, 2009

Great, that will bring the Danes, the Scandinavian as well to follow suit.

It has to be Internationally administered like Antarctica is and needs to come under UN mandate.

albertacowpoke

at 18:50 on March 27th, 2009

It.s all about ownership of resources. Canada will end up spending a pile of money to assert itself. Tough talk is just talk. I don.t think the UN could do anything in this case. As long as some countries have vetoes nothing can ever be accomplished.