[vox_mundi]

Russia just put the finishing touches on 6 Arctic military bases

Russia has finished equipping six new military bases throughout the Arctic in a move to recreate the country's military presence to levels it had during the Cold War, Russian news agency Tass reports.

The six military bases are located throughout Russia and are placed on both the country's northern shore and on outlying Arctic islands. The locations are now fully equipped with the materials and amenities necessary for long-term deployments of soldiers to the region.

"According to the General Staff’s execution documents, the work for the deployment and equipment of six military bases on the Arctic islands and in the polar part of mainland Russia is completed," a source familiar with the militarization told Tass.

Now that the bases are complete, Moscow will begin moving "hundreds of Russian military servicemen" to the bases starting in 2016.

The equipped bases are at Nagurskoye, Rogachevo, Sredny Ostrov, Temp, Mys Shmidta, and Zyvozdny. The completion of these bases marks a major step towards Russia's overall goal of reopening and extending the military bases it once owned and operated throughout the Arctic during the Cold War.



In total, Moscow's plans involve the opening of ten Arctic search-and-rescue stations, 16 deep-water ports, 13 airfields, and 10 air-defense radar stations across its Arctic periphery.

Once completed, this construction will "permit the use of larger and more modern bombers" in the region, Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert at New York University, writes for The Moscow Times. "By 2025, the Arctic waters are to be patrolled by a squadron of next-generation stealthy PAK DA bombers."

The Arctic is set to become a geopolitical battleground in the future. The warming of the polar ice cap will likely reveal large untapped natural resources. The US estimates that about 15% of the world's remaining oil, up to 30% of its natural gas deposits, and about 20% of its liquefied natural gas are stored in the Arctic seabed.

Additionally, receding Arctic ice would enable faster global shipping routes.

By 2030, the WSJ notes, the Northern Sea Route will be passable to shipping for nine months a year. The route could cut down travel time between Europe and East Asia by as much as 60% compared to current routes through the Panama or Suez Canals.

The Canadian Air Force Is Looking to Buy Weaponized Drones

Canada is looking at buying its own weaponized drones, and internal documents tout the benefits of a controversial model used by the US Air Force.

American Reaper and Predator drones have dropped Hellfire missiles on terrorist targets all over the world for years, but Canada has kept its distance from the cutting-edge weapons — until recently.

A February 2015 Canadian ministerial briefing, obtained through Canada's Access to Information Act and classified as "Secret," offers a glimpse at how the upper echelons of the Department of National Defense view armed drones, which were known to be on the air force's shopping list.

The briefing argues "UAVs offer several advantages that manned aircraft cannot provide," and are an "economical" technology. Namely, the briefing compares current Canadian aircraft, including fighters carrying missiles and bombs, with drones used by the US Air Force for its top secret operations.

Excerpt of ministerial briefing obtained by VICE News.

"In addition, UAVs can also be fitted with weapons or other stores to provide a range of effects. For example, after providing Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance [ISR] for hours above the battlefield, UAVs would be positioned to provide an immediate precision strike in support of ground forces on a deployed operation," the briefing explains.

But the specter of new conflicts away from the Middle East might be a driving force behind the ultimate procurement of UAVs for Canada. The briefing also outlined the need to procure drones with not only "survivability, lethality, and flexibility" but ones that are able to operate in harsh Arctic air, noting that the remote and austere environment raises "significant difficulties".

Scientists at Defense Research and Development Canada, a government agency, have already begun investigating the potential for unmanned robotics to support troop operations in the Arctic, given the region's geopolitical importance and its northern neighbor.

It is no secret Russian President Vladimir Putin values the Arctic region as a strategic region for future resource extraction. To support those plans, Putin has commissioned an Arctic drone base in nearby Siberia. Meanwhile, Russian heavy bombers have flown provocatively near Canadian airspace in a tit-for-tat standoff with Canada over Arctic borders.

Recent provocations aside, both the Arctic and armed drones are on the radars of Canadian policymakers as the search for a new drone fleet continues.

"The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper can remain aloft for over 27 hours compared to a maximum of 17 hours for CP-140 Aurora or less than 3 hours for a CF-18 Hornet — UAVs provide a sustained presence over an area," says the briefing. The Aurora is a long-range patrol and surveillance aircraft, while the Hornet is the fighter-bomber Canada uses in its current airstrikes against the Islamic State.

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper (1976)

[Cog]

You mean Russia intends to exploit resources in the Arctic? I thought Putin was all about understanding climate change. How insensitive of him.

[claman]

Russia had next to nothing in arctis after the fall of the sovjiet union, so it's not nessecarily aggressive what they are doing. It might be just precausious actions, just like Denmark (Greenland) and canada who are allso building up military forces in the arctic - You know , just to be on the safe side.

[claman]

"precausious", this word does not exist, but how about "preventive" in stead.

[AgentR11]

How can anyone consider a country building military bases within its own borders to be "aggressive" is beyond understanding.

[ROCKMAN]

"You mean Russia intends to exploit resources in the Arctic?" Are you implying they aren't already doing it?

"The shining example of such development to date is Gazprom Neft’s Prirazlomnaya platform. Located nearly 40 miles offshore in the Pechora Sea, the rig is the world’s first Arctic oil project involving a stationary platform . Neft began production at the Prirazlomnoye field in 2013 and reached commercial figures last year, with a total output of roughly 1.8 million bbls of oil per year. With production well number two (of 19 wells planned) now online, output should reach somewhere between 2.6 to 5.5 million bbls of oil/year by year’s end."

[Cog]

How can anyone consider a country building military bases within its own borders to be "aggressive" is beyond understanding.

Exactly. I'm sure your understanding extends to the new NATO countries bordering Russia.

[claman]

R11, I agree with you, but watch out for your butt when you're talking about russians building military bases beyound their borders (chrimea).

[AgentR11]

How can anyone consider a country building military bases within its own borders to be "aggressive" is beyond understanding.

Exactly. I'm sure your understanding extends to the new NATO countries bordering Russia.

It does indeed.

Though I think they are configured poorly and don't deliver the right message. But that's a political disagreement everyone is entitled to have.

To me, they seem configured to support the assumption that NATO intends to initiate first strike raids into Russia with no intention of staying, rather just penetrate, break stuff, kill people, and leave; with very little defensive capability to repel or stop. I do not believe this reduces the risk of war, I think it greatly enhances it.

I'd be much heavier on troop count at the bases, and less focused on this "rapid response"; rapid response I'd have much further into the interior or NATO, not out on the edge. I think in its current format, it breeds instability and unpredictability; something I don't like. Higher troop count would also be much more effective against hybrid or domestic instability; warm bodies able to nip a crisis in the bud before too many people are harmed; a kind of human inertia that can be diffused into an event so it withers out harmlessly.

Claman - no. Just no. Crimea is Russian. No Ukrainian security force will ever again patrol the streets of Sevastopol. Sorry. It'll be unrecognized Russian just as there are lots of other unrecognized things in the world. But Russian it'll remain, probably till the end of industrial civilization. Which is kinda annoying, as I was hoping to sail into Sevastopol one day and see it as a NATO port. But, I'm a believer in reality. My sailing days are over, and Galatian Kiev proved incompetent in warfare. /sigh

[vox_mundi]

Russia deploys S-400 missile defense systems in Arctic

Two cutting-edge S-400 missile systems have been deployed to Russia’s Arctic region north of the polar circle over the past year, a military source has revealed. The news comes as Russia reasserts its military presence in the Arctic.

The surface-to-air missile systems have been deployed to the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and to the Yakutian port of Tiksi in the Arctic Ocean, a source at the Russian General Staff of Armed Forces told TASS news agency.

The source said the S-400 deployment areas are secured with Pantsir-S1 (NATO classification SA-22 Greyhound) short-range mobile air defense systems, armed with Igla-S surface-to-air missile launchers and double-barreled Djigit 30mm cannons.

The military base on Novaya Zemlya has also been reinforced with Bastion-P complexes armed with P-800 Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles. Video

Russia’s Military Drills and Deployments

The “Russian Military Map” series describes the ongoing military developments in Russia, shows the approximate locations of Russian military groups and drills.



July 29, Russia’s new-generation anti-aircraft missile systems S-400 (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) have been deployed on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. The combat hardware has assumed combat positions near the port cities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which serves as the Pacific Fleet’s primary naval base, Yelizovo, which hosts the Fleet’s air base, and Vilyuchinsk, which accommodates the Fleet’s submarine base.

The S-400 surface-to-air missile system is designated to destroy any air targets at a distance of up to 400 km (248.5 miles) and at an altitude of up to 30 km (18.6 miles) and create defense in depth. The missiles have become operational in the Russian Armed Forces this year.

[Cid_Yama]

Note the source of the OP. The Heritage Foundation, The Council on Foreign Relations, and the Economist. He's got a couple quotes from Russian sources just to make it look balanced, but this is just a piece of warmongering from the Right.

Consider this. The US Coast Guard. Search and Rescue or Military? Exactly, both. So technically, even if they are providing search and rescue in support of the development of the Arctic shipping route, you can call them 'military bases' and be right. And if they are a commercial port that could handle military vessels as well? Technically you could call them military bases.

And, as AgentR11 pointed out they in Russia. This is a non-story.

Of course, if Cog, and people like him, were able to drum up a war, (seems he wants one somewhere, anywhere that involves Russians), he won't be going. But he sure seems all worked up about getting our servicemen killed to satisfy his hatred and feelings of impotence.

[Cog]

I lived long enough to see the destruction of the Soviet Union and the liberation of eastern Europe. I hope I live long enough to see Russia humiliated, on its knees, begging for any scrap that the West wishes to bestow on it.

[ROCKMAN]

"...but watch out for your butt when you're talking about Russians building military bases beyond their borders" So then you would agree that both Russia and China should be “watching their butts" given the widespread deployment of US military bases beyond its borders.

"I hope I live long enough to see Russia humiliated, on its knees, begging for any scrap that the West wishes to bestow on it." Exactly the thoughts of many folks about Germany after WWI and many of them did what they could to bring that situation about. OTOH those unintended consequences can be a real disappointment. LOL

As that wise Chinese general once said: always give your enemy a way out of the battle/war. IOW hopeless situations can lead many to unthinkable acts.

[Cid_Yama]

As the victors dictated a grossly punitive "Carthaginian Peace" to cripple Germany, Keynes resigned from the discussions and publicly denounced the Versailles Treaty.

Keynes made a dreadfully accurate prediction of the treaty's consequences:

If we aim at the impoverishment of Central Europe, vengeance, I dare say, will not limp. Nothing can then delay for very long the forces of Reaction and the despairing convulsions of Revolution, before which the horrors of the late German war will fade into nothing, and which will destroy, whoever is victor, the civilisation and the progress of our generation.

link

[radon1]

I hope I live long enough to see

Dreams give a meaning to life.

[vox_mundi]

Note the source of the OP. The Heritage Foundation, The Council on Foreign Relations, and the Economist. He's got a couple quotes from Russian sources just to make it look balanced, but this is just a piece of warmongering from the Right.

The source of the OP was businessinsider.com. The map glumed together info from several sources - some in English - some in Russian. Doesn't Tass, Sputnik News, RT, The Moscow Times, Barents Observer count?.

Let's face it - All News is Propaganda.

And, as AgentR11 pointed out they in Russia. This is a non-story.

... just a piece of warmongering from the Right = Which country?

From Tass:
Russia completes equipping of six military bases in Arctic — General Staff source

... In recent years, Russia has been building military infrastructure in the Arctic proactively. The Unified Strategic Command comprising, inter alia, a number of units from the Western, Central and Eastern military districts was formed on the basis of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet in late 2014. In addition, new large units are being activated for the new command, two motor-rifle brigades in particular.

Russian deputy PM explains necessity of military bases in Arctic
Russian military presence in Arctic crucial to nation’s defense, economic interests
Russian Defense Ministry deploys S-300, S-400 air defense missile systems in Arctic
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: No Need for NATO in the Arctic

From Moscow Times:
Russia Launches Largest Military Maneuvers of 2015

The Russian military launched its largest scheduled military exercise of the year on Monday, known as Center-2015, featuring around 95,000 military personnel, 7,000 pieces of combat hardware, up to 170 aircraft and 20 ships.

The increasing frequency and size of war games run by Russia and NATO over the past year have raised concerns that the two sides are lumbering toward an unintentional conflict, as the military maneuvers may serve to heighten tensions rather than deter them, according to a study published by the London-based European Leadership Network (ELN), a think tank, in August.

According to the ELN report, NATO this year scheduled some 270 exercises, while Russia announced 4,000 drills of various sizes across all levels of the military.

The launch of Center-2015 coincided with the announcement of the first ever training maneuvers conducted by the recently formed Arctic brigade, which were formed in December on the base of the Russian Northern fleet, which has traditionally been responsible for Arctic operations.

The Arctic brigade will conduct exercises on Kotelny Island and practice amphibious landings, the head of the Northern Fleet’s press service, Vadim Serga, was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

From Russia Today:
Putin orders Arctic military build-up in 2014

Russia is returning to the Arctic and “intensifying the development of this promising region” so it needs to “have all the levers for the protection of its security and national interests,” Putin said on Tuesday at an expanded meeting of the Defense Ministry Board.

He ordered the ministry to complete the formation of new military units and infrastructure in the Arctic next year.

"I would like you to devote special attention to deploying infrastructure and military units in the Arctic," the president said in televised remarks.

The country is set to continue the revival of other Russian northern airfields as well as docks on the New Siberian Islands and the Franz Josef Land archipelago, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said, speaking at Tuesday’s meeting.

“There are plans to create a group of troops and forces to ensure military security and protection of the Russian Federation's national interests in the Arctic in 2014,” Shoigu confirmed.

Back in September, Russia announced it was resuming its permanent Arctic military presence. In a symbolic move, it sent 10 warships and nuclear-powered icebreakers along the Northern Sea Route. This is a shipping lane between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, which runs from the Russian northern port city of Murmansk, along Siberia and the Far East.

Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia’s Security Council, announced in mid-2012 it would create ten naval bases along its northern coast. In May, Russia announced it would be constructing up to four new ships for duty in the Arctic.

Russia to create large drone for scouting Arctic

A new heavy drone weighing 1.5 tons with a flight range of up to 4,000 kilometers (which is enough to fly from the Russian shore to the North pole and back again twice) will be created within the joint project of two Russian engineering companies – the drone developer ‘Tiber’ and RTI Aerospace Systems.

In late June, Russian media reported another drone project that is being developed by the Russia’s Ministry of Defense and will also be reportedly finished by 2017. New stealthy, highly autonomous torpedo-like submersible drones will be developed and commissioned by the Russian Navy in two years, Izvestia Daily claims, citing the Russian Navy’s policy document.

‘Climate change – smoke screen in Arctic geopolitical play’

The US global military agenda pertains to the gas and oil rich Arctic region, says Michel Chossudovsky, from the Center for Research on Globalization.

Russian Mystery Submarine Likely Deployment Vehicle for New Nuclear Torpedo

Classifying History for the Wrong Reasons — the Dangers of Secrecy as an Enabler of Inadvertent Nuclear War - Security chiefs block release of report on 1983 Soviet nuclear scare

Security chiefs are trying to block the release of documents that would shed fresh light on how Britain and the US came close to provoking a Soviet nuclear attack.

They are insisting that a report, The Detection of Soviet Preparations for War Against Nato, must remain secret. The report was drawn up by the joint intelligence committee (JIC) after a Nato military exercise codenamed Able Archer 83.

The US has released a number of documents relating to the crisis, specifically about Oleg Gordievsky, the KGB officer who defected to Britain. He played a key role in warning Washington about the effect of president Ronald Reagan’s dangerous rhetoric on Moscow, and the Kremlin’s equally dangerous paranoia.

The latest American document to be released describes how US-Soviet relations were on “hair-trigger” alert in 1983, with a watchful air force general acting “out of instinct, not informed guidance” to prevent the crisis from escalating, and Reagan calling the situation “really scary”.

The dispute over the JIC document comes at a time when Nato is resuming “transition to nuclear strike” exercises.