The Arctic is quickly becoming the newest feeder in which world powers compete for resources under the Arctic ice lays a vast wealth of oil natural gas and minerals including iron copper titanium and nickel among others, the United States Geological Survey estimates that 22% of the world's oil is located beneath the Arctic with the Arctic ice melting and new technology making extraction of these resources affordable nations bordering the Arctic have ramped up exploration and extraction along with military expansion in the region to protect their interests
along with resources the retreating ice has also opened up new shipping routes these routes will allow vessels to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in much less time saving millions
Russia has recently been the first to expanded projective power into the north over the past decade Russia has spent billions of dollars in the Arctic, in 2007 the Russians planted a Russian flag at the bottom of the ocean at the North Pole symbolizing their claim to the region, in 2013 Putin and ordered the Russian military to have a constant presence in the Arctic one of the results of this expansion is the Arctic trefoil military base on alexandra land the new base is complete with squadrons of strike and interceptor aircraft radar installations and surface-to-air missile sites, in the past few years Russia has constructed over a dozen air bases, 16 ports and 40 icebreakers and they continue to build more, they have also reactivated and expanded cold war-era bases like "Alakurtti" near the border of Finland and the northern shamrock "Kotelny" Island
Russia already has a large percentage of its naval forces in the region at bases such as "Severomorsk" and "Severodvinsk" where several surface ships and over 40 submarines are based, Russia has also been upgrading and adapting its military equipment to operate in the harsh arctic region during the 2017 Victory Day Parade Russia took the opportunity to show off new versions of Tanks, armored personnel carriers and surface air missile systems to the warld they have also reportedly converted a Oscar class submarine to begin laying a SOSUS network in the Arctic that can detect and monitor enemy submarines and naval activity
the United States has also recognized the growing significance of the Arctic they have increased Arctic exercises and training apps like ICE X which has held every other year in the region and US nuclear submarines regularly operate under the Arctic, ice the major US bases in the region are Ulsan and Elmendorf Richardson air bases in Alaska and fuel in Greenland despite this the U.S. is way behind Russia and its expansion of its Arctic interests they haven't dedicated anywhere near the amount of resources or capital into the region as the Russians have
in 2016 the Defense Authorization bill included a requirement for the Department of Defense to come up with the Arctic O plan or operation plan which is an overall strategy for a Military operation but so far that hasn't happened and the new administration has not yet made clear what its plans are for the region
other nations bordering the Arctic have also began investing in the region, Canada has begin to focus on the north with the construction of the new Harry T Wolf class naval vessels designed a better operate in the Arctic, Norway has discussed nationalizing and reopening old Cold War naval facilities such as that at Olas Bern which is currently being rented by the Russians and Denmark has created the joint Arctic command in 2012 to protect the sovereignty in the region
Russia is the only nation that shares a border with the Arctic that is not a member of NATO, NATO has held several military exercises in the region including exercised joint Viking and Arctic challenge with the goal of increasing its military readiness in the region with tensions rising close to cold war levels between the East and the West the Arctic seems set to become the newest battleground in which world powers will compete for supremacy
