BI: the United States does not have the necessary types of weapons to strengthen its presence in the Arctic
Washington has repeatedly stressed the importance of the Arctic for national defense, BI writes. However, even despite the increased desire of the White House to strengthen its presence in the region, it is unlikely to succeed: the lack of necessary weapons is to blame.
Chris Panella
— The United States does not have enough weapons and technology to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic.
— In particular, there are no surveillance systems and a complex of sensors, naval potential and drones.
— The Arctic is a hot spot of interstate rivalry: Russia and China are seeking to expand their interests in the region.
In a war among the frozen Arctic wastelands, the United States faces difficulties: they have neither suitable weapons nor the means to reliably detect threats in the region and respond promptly.
Actually, the Arctic is not suitable for war. The distances are huge, severe frosts disable equipment, and troops have to make do with extremely limited infrastructure. However, competition with rivals and opponents of the United States is intensifying, and there is a growing awareness that in the future military operations may unfold in the Arctic region. At the same time, experts and officials are increasingly concerned about US combat readiness.
If American forces in the region fail to identify threats in a timely manner, deploy sufficient funds, and ensure the supply of personnel in harsh conditions, the region could become an entry gate for undetected attacks.
Gaps in the defense of the Arctic have become the cornerstone of President Donald Trump's somewhat muddled rhetoric about acquiring Greenland. In particular, he said that the island is necessary for the United States to implement a large-scale missile defense project called the Golden Dome.
"If a war starts, then a significant part of the fighting will unfold on this piece of ice," Trump said on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Just think: the rockets will fly right over its center."
The President is by no means the first to draw attention to the strategic importance of the Arctic for national security. Several administrations have warned about this in a row.
In recent years, the leadership in Washington has repeatedly stressed the importance of the Arctic for national defense. In its Arctic strategy through 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense emphasized the need to raise awareness, as well as strengthen surveillance and sensor systems throughout the territory, strengthen naval capabilities, and develop missile attack warning technologies. The Ministry stressed that there are not enough existing systems to combat the constantly escalating threats in the region.
In particular, the United States (as well as its NATO allies) are not investing enough in means to detect, track, and respond to hostile actions in the vast expanses of the Arctic.
Tools for a specific task
"These are just some of the necessary tools: aerial and underwater surveillance, as well as means of defense and naval warfare, such as anti—submarine frigates, heavy icebreakers, multifunctional ice-class surface ships and dual-purpose vessels for maritime transportation," wrote Liselotta Odgor, senior researcher at the Hudson Institute, in a new report. There is also no infrastructure such as an underwater sensor network, an operational control system, ports, runways and roads.
"As a result, the United States and its allies do not have enough tracking, response, and resupply capabilities," she explained. "These disadvantages allow opponents to cross waters and territories undetected, maintain forces in the theater of operations for a long time and challenge allied forces in conditions close to combat."
The current US presence, whether awareness of the situation in the region or regular exercises, is not enough, and the Arctic remains the "least protected sector from threats," former deputy head of the US Northern Command, Army General Thomas Cardin, said in 2024.
As the difficulties become more apparent, new efforts are made. Recent steps such as Trump's "One, Big, Beautiful" Law and the Coast Guard's fiscal year 2026 budget included millions of dollars for new icebreakers, patrol boats, and necessary upgrades to Arctic infrastructure. The newly renamed Arctic Coast Guard District has expanded its powers in monitoring the situation, and last year the service received its first icebreaker in the last quarter of a century.
In addition, the United States is working on the creation of new air defense systems and interceptors that will replace or complement those already installed in Alaska. The budget of the Space Forces for 2026 includes billions of dollars for the Golden Dome, in particular, for space sensors and interceptors, as well as for the modernization of the Pituffik space base in Greenland.
At the same time, key areas remain ignored.
As Odgor wrote in a new report, vast parts of the airspace over east Greenland and the North Pole are not constantly monitored, and the capabilities for detecting and tracking submarines along the east coast of Greenland do not meet the necessary requirements.
These gaps are alarming, as Russia aims to expand its underwater operations in the Arctic.
Unmanned systems, both marine and aerial, will theoretically allow expanding the surveillance zone over vast areas that would be too difficult and expensive to patrol using traditional means.
However, the harsh Arctic conditions make it difficult to work in this direction. In the case of drones, this is fraught with battery drain, reduced range, and poor communication and performance. Recent exercises have proven that frosts, poor visibility, snow, ice, and strong winds can disable drones and other equipment.
The new investments of the United States in preparing for war in the Arctic are also dictated by the fact that Russia and China are deepening cooperation and are increasingly asserting their interests in the region. Russia is seeking to expand the scope of its submarine fleet, and China has strategically declared itself a "near-Arctic" power and conducts joint patrols with Russia, including off the coast of Alaska. Beijing is also investing in naval capabilities, ships and drones designed specifically for the region.
