The Arctic

[Kirkhill]

You just have to dodge around the Pingos.

This 2014 article suggests an exploitable opportunity in Tuk at the western end of the Passage.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/deep-water-port-in-tuktoyaktuk-could-bring-business-to-n-w-t-1.2857238

A fuel dock in Iqaluit and another at Tuk with a Polar Icebreaker and a pair of AOPS on station?

 

[Blackadder1916]

Anyone have a reasonably informed opinion on this article from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute?

What's old is new again. Ideas have a way of being resurrected, probably at a greater speed than the improvements in technology they champion.

Blimps/airships/aerostats (merged)

I came accross an interesting article on the Winds of Chane Blog about several research projects currently under way which are exploring new applications for blimps. The most interesting of the linked articles were the JLENS system, basicaly a distributed network of blimp based radar, infrared...

army.ca

This, referenced in the linked thread, caught my attention. Has there been Canadian military journaling of the subject more recent than twenty years ago?
The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin Volume 5, No. 3 • Fall 2002
THE DIRIGIBLE – A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Thurrot, CD, and Major Shane Jennings, CD
Information archivée dans le Web | Information Archived on the Web (go to pg 59)

 

[Kirkhill]

Near the Arctic Circle on the Auyuittuq traverse demonstrating our impression of the average wind speed.

We estimated wind gusts at around 60kph+, which were pretty common, with the average day time wind speed idling at around 30kph I reckon.

At night, the average speed increased to 'howling like a banshee'. Tents were best pitched in the lee of a giant boulder, pegged down with giant boulders

View attachment 81449

So you're not recommending Lethbridge as a home base for airships then?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Anyone have a reasonably informed opinion on this article from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute?

Edward, as others have suggested, it is difficult to make a judgement on the usefulness of airships in the arctic without knowing more about the technical specifications of the airship in question.

In theory, it could work, but getting it caught in some nasty weather could lead to unfortunate outcomes, given airships don’t generally have the speed required to get themselves out of the way of storms.

 

[daftandbarmy]

So you're not recommending Lethbridge as a home base for airships then?

Having been to both places, I'm thinking the arctic would be better

 

[lenaitch]

airships don’t generally have the speed required to get themselves out of the way of storms.

Or service ceiling.

I'd be interested to see an airship land in eight foot seas then deploy a boat.

 

[KevinB]

I have to wonder if it would have been better to build a new facility closer to the existing community? Canada needs to triple it's infrastructure in the North, starting with Ports, Airports, communications. with those in place, start increasing the road/rail network and waterway network. Including slowly build ice roads into more year round road where possible.

I'd argue a lot more than triple...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I'd argue a lot more than triple...

i am being realistic, considering everything else we need to spend money on and our current fiscal state thanks to JT. And to continue on the realist trend, that would be as much work as our resources would be able to carry, from project planning, review and implementation and construction.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

A link to various books on the Arctic

Lackenbauer.ca | DOCUMENT COLLECTIONS

lackenbauer.ca

 

[KevinB]

i am being realistic, considering everything else we need to spend money on and our current fiscal state thanks to JT. And to continue on the realist trend, that would be as much work as our resources would be able to carry, from project planning, review and implementation and construction.

There is so much in Canada’s north that would be a boon to the economy and infrastructure would make the local population feel like Canada actually cares about them.

To me investing in Canada’s north is just common sense.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

There is so much in Canada’s north that would be a boon to the economy and infrastructure would make the local population feel like Canada actually cares about them.

To me investing in Canada’s north is just common sense.

i fully agree, but it's a long term planning thing. If I want to start next spring, it's already to late, as you have to go through the assessment process, the consultation process, then book the shipping, then organize the labour and the local support. Your build season is short, shipping is expensive and proper planning is critical. You may think you can cut through the assessment and consulting component, but that generally fails badly. Not just because bad decisions are made down here with no Northern reality input, but also the long legal fight it will entail. the good news is we have had several port project coming to completion. So you have the experienced regulators, workers, planners and indigenous groups involved in the process, we need to to continue to leverage that expertise into more projects. Expect a minimum of 2 years prep before you start building.

While communities are waiting on the bigger chunks, helping them do some of the prep work like wildlife studies, fisheries studies and fixing smaller things like beach access, communications. Also ideas like small renewable energy projects, greenhouse projects to grow food up there and eventually planning on SMR's for the bigger communities. A big part is getting people in the North working on a more regular schedule and build more capacity into those communities. I would add more SAR stations, more Ranger Patrols. Stand up a couple of Reserve units up there to supplement the Ranger Patrols and build up a domestic response capability. Not to mention at least two Naval Reservist Stations with CB-90 style boats for the open water seasons and good sized hangers for winter storage and training. All which helps the communities there become healthier with meaningful work and paychecks.

 

[Kirkhill]

There is so much in Canada’s north that would be a boon to the economy and infrastructure would make the local population feel like Canada actually cares about them.

To me investing in Canada’s north is just common sense.

It might even supply jobs to Southerners.

Suppose the government had put 20,000 Canadians into uniform and 78,000 Canadians to work building Ports, Docks and Airfields in the North instead of hiring 98,000 Bureaucrats for Ottawa.

 

[KevinB]

It might even supply jobs to Southerners.

Suppose the government had put 20,000 Canadians into uniform and 78,000 Canadians to work building Ports, Docks and Airfields in the North instead of hiring 98,000 Bureaucrats for Ottawa.

Those ‘rare earth’ metals etc would be funding an economic revival…

 

[Kirkhill]

Just scooping and dumping this here for future reference.

Countering Russia’s hybrid threats in the Arctic

This report explores how hybrid threats manifest in the Arctic, areas that are susceptible to influence, potential targets, actors who wish to shape public opinions, as well as the objectives being pursued. Kertysova and Gricius examine the threat and vulnerability landscape in the Arctic and...

www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is producing ripple effects that reverberate far beyond Ukraine. While Russia’s military build-up in parts of the Arctic region shows no sign of slowing down, hybrid warfare and interference through non-military means will likely be Russia’s preferred strategy in the Arctic moving forward.

Russia’s turn to hybrid interference is neither new nor confined to the Arctic, and its influencing activities come in many shapes and sizes, constituting part of a larger hybrid campaign that targets society as a whole. Hybrid activities observed in the Arctic encompass information operations (including disinformation), cyber attacks, material interference (targeting of pipelines and undersea cables), GPS jamming, and more traditional tactics like espionage and energy intimidation.

This report, by Katarina Kertysova and Gabriella Gricius, aims to identify and explore how hybrid threats manifest in the Arctic, areas that are susceptible to influence, potential targets, actors who wish to shape public opinions, as well as the objectives being pursued. It first examines the threat and vulnerability landscape in the Arctic and outlines individual country profiles of the seven Western Arctic states under investigation, namely Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States. We observe four key trends in the Arctic, all related to increases in 1) Russian cyber activity, 2) critical infrastructure interference, 3) espionage and intelligence operations, and 4) mounting information influence operations (including disinformation) in the Arctic. The report then uses Finland as a good example for other Western Arctic states to follow – highlighting best practices. Next, the report evaluates the viability of a regional joint response mechanism towards hybrid threats. Finally, it offers a series of recommendations to address hybrid interference in the Arctic that is as follows:

1. Know one’s weaknesses and improve situational awareness
2. Enhance transparency and public communications
3. Establish good governance structures
4. Foster quality education and critical media literacy
5. Training and exercising
6. Crisis preparedness
7. Break down silos and encourage horizontal coordination
8. Cooperate within coalitions and capitalise on existing frameworks
9. Avoid unintended escalation in the Arctic
10. Broaden social inclusion
11. Invest effort in understanding Russian intent

 

[Skysix]

In 8hrs a CB-90 at 20kts , assuming no ice can cover this area, from Coppermine

View attachment 78739

Kugluktuk (Coppermine) harbor is ice free roughly from July 1 to October - but the ice is not far from shore until August leaving only a littoral channel (I used to Lifeguard on a beach there in summers)

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Kugluktuk (Coppermine) harbor is ice free roughly from July 1 to October - but the ice is not far from shore until August leaving only a littoral channel (I used to Lifeguard on a beach there in summers)

Mostly ice free for most of the summer of 1992 when I was there.

 

[brihard]

Those ‘rare earth’ metals etc would be funding an economic revival…

I took a bath some years back on investments in a couple rare earth projects. The Chinese undercut the market and basically caused the rug to be pulled from a number of projects in the West or by Western companies elsewhere that would have helped cracked their near-monopoly. This would be a good strategic venture for a crown corporation to guarantee our own domestic supply. The mineral reserves absolutely exist in Canada at decent enough concentrations to be exploited. The greatest risk is getting enough startup capital to bring it to production; that’s when China hit the market.

 

[daftandbarmy]

'Teaming up' might be a stretch...

Are Russia and China Teaming Up to Control the Arctic?​

Worried Pentagon officials are resetting U.S. Arctic policy and training in response to China and Russia’s plans

More aggressive posturing by Russia and China in the fast-melting Arctic is raising red flags for the Pentagon.

Russia is working to quickly flex its muscle in the region through a partnership with China to build infrastructure along the Northern Sea Route, one of two major shipping lanes across the Arctic. That agreement, announced exactly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, was viewed by experts as a signal that Russia and China increasingly share economic interests in the icy polar region.

Then in August, a fleet of 11 Russian and Chinese warships sailed from the Sea of Japan through the Bering Strait into the Pacific Ocean, passing close to the U.S.-held Aleutian Islands off the Alaskan coast. The Russian news agency Interfax said the ships were conducting "joint anti-submarine and anti-aircraft exercises."

“Russia has a heavy emphasis on the Arctic, and over half of it is in Russian territory,” Iris Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Arctic and global resilience, said in an interview with E&E News. “I don’t want to suggest they don’t have a place there. But we are concerned about increasing levels of investment in Arctic military capabilities."

Those realities require a reset of U.S. Defense Department policies in the Arctic region, including “changes in how we’re training and equipping [U.S. forces] and rethinking the kinds of operations we need to have there,” Ferguson said. Elements of those changes will be laid out in DOD's Arctic strategy, expected to be released this month.

The document will replace a 2019 version released three years before Russia invaded Ukraine, effectively alienating itself from seven partner Arctic nations: the United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Experts noted China does not have territory in the Arctic but seeks access and influence in the region, something it hopes to advance through its Russian alliance.

Are Russia and China Teaming Up to Control the Arctic?

Worried Pentagon officials are resetting U.S. Arctic policy and training in response to China and Russia’s plans

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Spencer100]

'Teaming up' might be a stretch...

Are Russia and China Teaming Up to Control the Arctic?​

Worried Pentagon officials are resetting U.S. Arctic policy and training in response to China and Russia’s plans

More aggressive posturing by Russia and China in the fast-melting Arctic is raising red flags for the Pentagon.

Russia is working to quickly flex its muscle in the region through a partnership with China to build infrastructure along the Northern Sea Route, one of two major shipping lanes across the Arctic. That agreement, announced exactly a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, was viewed by experts as a signal that Russia and China increasingly share economic interests in the icy polar region.

Then in August, a fleet of 11 Russian and Chinese warships sailed from the Sea of Japan through the Bering Strait into the Pacific Ocean, passing close to the U.S.-held Aleutian Islands off the Alaskan coast. The Russian news agency Interfax said the ships were conducting "joint anti-submarine and anti-aircraft exercises."

“Russia has a heavy emphasis on the Arctic, and over half of it is in Russian territory,” Iris Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Arctic and global resilience, said in an interview with E&E News. “I don’t want to suggest they don’t have a place there. But we are concerned about increasing levels of investment in Arctic military capabilities."

Those realities require a reset of U.S. Defense Department policies in the Arctic region, including “changes in how we’re training and equipping [U.S. forces] and rethinking the kinds of operations we need to have there,” Ferguson said. Elements of those changes will be laid out in DOD's Arctic strategy, expected to be released this month.

The document will replace a 2019 version released three years before Russia invaded Ukraine, effectively alienating itself from seven partner Arctic nations: the United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Experts noted China does not have territory in the Arctic but seeks access and influence in the region, something it hopes to advance through its Russian alliance.

Are Russia and China Teaming Up to Control the Arctic?

Worried Pentagon officials are resetting U.S. Arctic policy and training in response to China and Russia’s plans

www.scientificamerican.com

More like China says sure Russia we will help in the Arctic...couple of years later....News Flash....Historical researchers in Beijing have uncovered old maps and documents clearly showing Siberia to be a part of the greater Middle Kingdom. New Poling of the Chinese population showing a 100% approval demanding the return of all of Siberia to the CCP.

 

[daftandbarmy]

More like China says sure Russia we will help in the Arctic...couple of years later....News Flash....Historical researchers in Beijing have uncovered old maps and documents clearly showing Siberia to be a part of the greater Middle Kingdom. New Poling of the Chinese population showing a 100% approval demanding the return of all of Siberia to the CCP.

And China's maps are making people mad too these days

​

Explained: Why Has Russia Rejected China's New Map, What All Territorial Disputes Does China Have With Neighbours?​

The Chinese map had claimed the Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island in its entirety as Chinese territory. China and Russia resolved the dispute in 2005 and the partition of the disputed island was completed by 2008 and yet the map claimed the region.

Russia has rejected the Chinese claims over Russian territory in a new map published last week.

So far, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, and Taiwan have registered protests over the new map that showed territories on land and sea as Chinese that these countries consider theirs.

While India, Taiwan, or the Philippines are obvious countries to be subjected to Chinese expansionist designs, Russia comes out as an unexpected member in the list as the country is seen as the closest partner of China on the world stage. Nonetheless, the new Chinese map also included Russian territory. While the Russian response was not as terse as India's, it nonetheless rejected Chinese claims and said the map is against the bilateral agreement signed to end the dispute in 2005.

The Chinese map had claimed the Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island in its entirety as Chinese territory. After decades of conflict, China and Russia resolved the dispute in 2005 and the partition of the disputed island was completed by 2008. Under the deal, China got 170 of the 350 sq kms of the island along with some other nearby islands and Russia kept the rest of the disputed region. Russia reiterated this in its rejection of the new map.
Here we explain what the new Chinese map shows, what Russia said, and what are all the territorial claims that China makes.

Explained: Why Has Russia Rejected China's New Map, What All Territorial Disputes Does China Have With Neighbours?

The Chinese map had claimed the Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island in its entirety as Chinese territory. China and Russia resolved the dispute in 2005 and the partition of the disputed island was completed by 2008 and yet the map claimed the region.

www.outlookindia.com