The Canadian Arctic as seen from space. Photo Credit: NASA. Since its inception, much of the discussion about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has centered on the United States’s refusal to ratify it which, according to proponents of ratification, has left US interests unsecured in a rapidly warming and … Continue reading UNCLOS in the Arctic: A Treaty for Warmer Waters
Author: Ashley Postler
Crowded Waters: Exploring the Implications of Internationalizing Arctic Security
Ice Camp Sargo was the base camp for the 2016 Ice Exercise (ICEX) involving four nations and 200 participants. The exercise sought to test, research and evaluate operational capabilities in the Arctic region. Photo Credit: US Department of Defense. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Those with stakes … Continue reading Crowded Waters: Exploring the Implications of Internationalizing Arctic Security
Space-Based Solutions for Closing the Arctic Digital Divide
The ISS flies over the Earth at night. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons. The Arctic is rapidly becoming more accessible due to climate change, bringing with it increased human activity in the form of resource exploration, shipping, tourism, and scientific research. All of this necessitates adequate connectivity capabilities. However, such communications infrastructure development in the polar … Continue reading Space-Based Solutions for Closing the Arctic Digital Divide
Bringing NATO Into the Fold: A Dilemma for Arctic Security
The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima passes under the northern lights during exercise Trident Juncture 2018 in the Norwegian Sea, Oct. 26, 2018. The NATO-led exercise is designed to increase interoperability among nations. Photo Credit: Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Leitner/US Navy. When many people consider the Arctic, they think not only of its … Continue reading Bringing NATO Into the Fold: A Dilemma for Arctic Security
Changing Arctic Governance and Options for the Arctic Council
The Arctic Council. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State By: Ashley Postler, Columnist After becoming Arctic Council Chair in 2017, Finland elected to continue the institution’s “process of long-term strategic planning” set in motion under the previous US chairmanship.[i] Toward this effort, the Council will likely consider two priorities: reinforcing the member states’ collective position … Continue reading Changing Arctic Governance and Options for the Arctic Council
A “Near-Arctic” Newcomer: China’s Maturing Arctic Strategy
Graphic design for annual Barents Spektakel in Kirkenes, Norway, depicting Chinese characters in celebration of the festival’s 2019 theme: ‘The World’s Northernmost Chinatown’” Photo Credit: Pikene på Broen AS, featured at Crypolitics. By: Ashley Postler, Columnist The globalized nature of climate change—“what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic”[i]—and the vast economic … Continue reading A “Near-Arctic” Newcomer: China’s Maturing Arctic Strategy
Contextualizing Russia’s Arctic Militarization
Russian servicemen of the Northern Fleet's Arctic mechanised infantry brigade participate in a military drill on riding reindeer and dog sleds near the settlement of Lovozero outside Murmansk, Russia January 23, 2017. Photo Credit: Lev Fedoseyev/Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation/Handout via REUTERS By: Ashley Postler, Columnist In 2007, Russia captured the world’s attention … Continue reading Contextualizing Russia’s Arctic Militarization
Beyond Icebreakers: Bridging the US Polar Icebreaking Gap
A curious Adelie penguin stands near the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star on McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, Jan. 7, 2016. Photo Credit: USCG By: Ashley Postler, Columnist Despite predictions that the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free during the late-summer months by 2040,[i] there remains a need for the U.S. to maintain icebreaking capabilities in order to … Continue reading Beyond Icebreakers: Bridging the US Polar Icebreaking Gap
Russia and China Sidelining the U.S. in the Arctic
Xue Long Chinese icebreaker. Photo Credit: United States Naval Institute By: Ashley Postler, Columnist As one of eight circumpolar states, the U.S. has much at stake in a rapidly warming Arctic, but remains behind the curve in developing and protecting its regional territory. In contrast, Russia and China have found overlapping and complementary national interests … Continue reading Russia and China Sidelining the U.S. in the Arctic
Disrupting the High North: Great Power Competition Comes to Greenland
Thule U.S. Air Base. Photo credit: NASA By: Ashley Postler, Columnist At a time of rapid environmental change and newfound access to previously frozen polar resources, Greenland’s ambition for independence from the Kingdom of Denmark is gaining momentum, which could have profound impacts on Arctic security. If independence truly is a matter of when, … Continue reading Disrupting the High North: Great Power Competition Comes to Greenland