News release: “The Defense Department has sent to Congress a report on its Arctic operations that leaders say will put the department in a good position to shape U.S. interests as the region undergoes dramatic climate and social changes. The Report to Congress on Arctic Operations and the Northwest Passage, mandated by the fiscal 2011 National Defense Authorization Act, “was true value added” to U.S. policies on the Arctic, a DOD official speaking on background said June 3 when the report was sent to Congress.” From the Summary: “This report responds to House Report 111-491, page 337, to accompany H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, which requested the Department of Defense (DoD) provide a report on Arctic operations addressing strategic national security objectives, needed mission capabilities, an assessment of changing the Unified Command Plan (UCP), needed basing infrastructure, and the status of and need for icebreakers.

• Section One provides the overarching context for the rest of the report and assesses the national security objectives in the region.
• Section Two assesses the capabilities needed to support the identified strategic objectives and, where gaps are identified, describes mitigation approaches to address them.
• Section Three assesses the advantages and disadvantages of amending the Unified Command Plan to designate a single Combatant Commander for the Arctic region.
• Section Four assesses the basing infrastructure needed to support the identified strategic objectives, including the need for a U.S. deep-water port in the Arctic.
• Section Five assesses the status of and need for icebreakers in the context of the capabilities to support national security objectives.
• The Arctic is warming on average twice as fast as the rest of the planet, resulting in increased human activity in the region. Although some perceive that competition for resources and boundary disputes may result in conflict in the Arctic, the opening of the Arctic also presents opportunities to work collaboratively in multilateral forums to promote a balanced approach to improving human and environmental security in the region.”
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