IVAN IN THE HIGH ARCTIC

Editor's Note: 3/5/2018 The only change in this situation so far since this was first published is that Russia continues to make progress and America is still basically like a deer stuck in headlights. Editor's Note: 1/24/2015. No changes in the situation depicted here except one . America is still short of ice breakers. Russia is still rich in ice breakers and maintains its claims and continues the science to back them with no counter studies going on. The impediment to Russia's progress in sewing up the Arctic Sea as a private ocean is the down turn in the price of oil. There is little point in pursuing oil that can't be sold at a profit above the cost of production.

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Naval Interest: IVAN IN THE HIGH ARCTIC:  Ivan already wants to rename the Arctic Ocean the "Russian Sea" but at least the Bear, unlike the Dragon is trying to perfect its claims under existing international law. A Russian Icebreaker departed MURMANSK, Russia on August 4, 2012 and subsequently met, as planned, a second Russian Icebreaker in Norway where today they are supposed to depart for the high arctic. Their mission is to explore the high latitude boundaries of the Mendeleev Ridge. If Russia can prove that this ridge is part of their continental shelf existing international law gives them the right to incorporate at least some of it into their Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ. 

OPINION: Russia can afford to devote two major ice breakers to scientific research in support of territorial claims. As noted in an earlier blog last week, the United States has over one thousand miles of Arctic coast line and only one functional major ice breaker. If Russia claims to within 12 miles of our coast, how do we counter their science?

 Everyone is concerned about our shrinking and increasingly expensive fleet of aircraft carriers, but our shortage of the more mundane Coast Guard Icebreakers may cost us the oil revenues, and oil itself that could keep carrier task forces going. When will the United States wake up and realize that we are a maritime nation, maritime power because we are maritime dependent. We have to be strong across the board to survive; a strong Navy, strong Coast Guard, crackerjack NOAA fleet, and large versatile  Merchant Marine.