Analysis

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Commentary
Surprise and Stability in the High North
December 14, 2020 | Rachel Ellehuus The Department of Defense’s dynamic force employment concept uses operational unpredictability to maximize resources and complicate adversary planning. Yet this new emphasis on surprise and lack of transparency and predictability risks upsetting regional stability.

Report
Geopolitics and Neglected Arctic Spaces
November 2, 2020 | Rachel Ellehuus, Colin Wall As the Arctic gains in geostrategic significance, the world’s most powerful countries are turning northward. In this edition of Northern Connections, three experts outline how it looks when countries in the region must balance the competing interests of outside powers.

Commentary
Is the United States Having an ‘Arctic Moment’ on Icebreaker Acquisition?
June 12, 2020 | Heather A. Conley On June 9, the White House released a memorandum directing the U.S. government to review the lack of icebreaking capabilities in the polar regions. The United States needs a modern icebreaking fleet to compete with systemic rivals in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Report
America's Arctic Moment: Great Power Competition in the Arctic to 2050
March 30, 2020 | Heather A. Conley, Nikos Tsafos, Ian Williams As U.S. Arctic policy remains stagnant, Russia and China are expanding their economic and military presence in the Arctic. In a battleground for great power competition, the United States must restore its presence and leadership in this increasingly strategic region.

Report
Ice Curtain: S-400 Deployments and Enhanced Defense of Russia’s Western Arctic (Rogachevo Air Base)
March 30, 2020 | Heather A. Conley, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. Russia’s deployment of S-400s to Rogachevo Air Base in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago is a critical part of its efforts to secure its Northwest Arctic territory and expand its defensive capabilities.

Report
Ice Curtain: Hunting for Russia’s Newest Military ‘Treasures in the Far North’*
March 27, 2020 | Heather A. Conley, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. Russia’s military posture on Alexandra Land augments Russia’s defense capabilities in the Arctic, while the island’s geographic position makes it a potential staging ground for power projection into the Central Arctic and North Atlantic.

Report
Ice Curtain: Tiksi Airbase—Many Russian Announcements, Little Equipment
March 26, 2020 | Heather A. Conley, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. The Russian government has repeatedly announced ambitious plans to expand Tiksi Air Base but appears to be significantly behind in its efforts, an indication that not everything the Kremlin announces with regard to its military posture in the Arctic is necessarily true.

Report
Ice Curtain: Protecting the Arctic Motherland
March 25, 2020 | Heather A. Conley, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. Russia’s military presence on Kotelny Island off the northern Siberian coast demonstrates a complex, layered coastal defense arrangement which could limit NATO and U.S. air and maritime capabilities in the region.

Report
Ice Curtain: Why Is There a New Russian Military Facility 300 Miles from Alaska?
March 24, 2020 | Heather A. Conley, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. Russia has significantly strengthened its military presence in its northernmost archipelagos by upgrading bases on remote islands like Wrangel Island, an island only 300 miles from the Alaskan coast.

Report
The Implications of U.S. Policy Stagnation toward the Arctic Region
May 3, 2019 | Heather A. Conley

U.S. policy toward the Arctic is driven by three cross-cutting factors. Despite the relentless pace of these drivers, U.S. policy has remained largely stagnant, allowing Russia and China to shape the region’s future, note CSIS’s Heather Conley and Matthew Melino.

Transcript
The Arctic of the Future: Strategic Pursuit or Great Power Miscalculation? - Panel I
May 10, 2018

This panels closely examines Russia’s future economic and security ambitions in the Arctic in a panel titled: "The Arctic Superpower: Factors Shaping Russia's Arctic Policy."

Commentary
Arctic Temperatures and Greenland Politics Heat Up
March 9, 2018 | Heather A. Conley

Greenland has an important role to play in U.S. defense, housing the Thule Air Base and forming an integral link in the U.S. missile defense system. However, an upcoming snap election may call this position into question. 

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