NATO is concerned about Russia and China’s actions in the Arctic, and Canada hopes to buy 12 new submarines to strengthen Arctic defense

Canada plans to acquire a dozen new submarines capable of sailing under sea ice to bolster defences of the country’s vast Arctic coastal region, the Department of National Defence said. Announce last week.

“A larger, modern submarine fleet will help us detect and deter threats on all three coasts and protect Canadians and Canadian interests,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the conference last week. NATO Summit in Washington.

Climate change has accelerated the melting of Arctic sea ice, slowly opening up new shipping lanes, which Western countries worry could be used by adversaries for economic and military purposes.

The Canadian Department of National Defense said in a recent statement that by 2050, the Northern Sea Route could become the most efficient shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The Canadian military noted that “an increasing number of Chinese dual-use research vessels and surveillance platforms are collecting data on Canada’s north,” in addition to Russia’s increasing activity in the Arctic.

China Rapid Expanded its underwater fleetRussia’s Defense Ministry says Russian submarines continue to gather intelligence in Arctic waters.

As reported by CBS News ReportedRussia has stepped up military operations in the Arctic Circle, including testing advanced Hypersonic missilesA few years ago, a Russian gas tanker was completed Experimental Round Trip Along the Northern Sea Route connecting Western Europe and the Atlantic Ocean with East Asia.

“They are very eager to develop this Northern Sea Route,” Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses, told CBS News. He said Russia had envisioned using the route, which passes through Russia’s exclusive economic zone, as an alternative to the southern route through the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal. The Arctic route could cut shipping time by 20 days.

Currently, the Northern Sea Route is only navigable during a limited period of time each year during the ice-free period. Some estimates suggest that In less than twenty years, the route could be permanently ice-free.

Canada Update Defense PolicyThe strategy, released in April, takes these impending changes into account and details the country’s plans to increase its military presence in the Arctic to mitigate potential threats.

Canada’s new submarines will be used to “detect, track, deter and, if necessary, defeat” adversaries in the country’s waters, the Department of National Defense said in a statement. statement.

“This new fleet will enable Canada to defend its sovereignty in a changing world and make a valuable, high-end contribution to the security of our partners and NATO allies,” Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said in the statement.

Canada’s defence policy notes that NATO is increasingly concerned about Russia’s ability to project force from its Arctic territory into the North Atlantic.

Analyst Gorenburg said Russia’s growing presence in the Arctic will have indirect implications for U.S. national security.

“It affects U.S. security in large part because of the potential threat it poses to NATO and the alliance structure,” he said. Assuming a Russian attack Take coalition allies Finland or Norway as potential examples of countries that could draw Washington into a conflict.

This week, Canada, the United States and Finland Announce The trilateral partnership “will continue to build state-of-the-art Arctic and polar icebreakers and other Arctic and polar capabilities in our respective countries,” the group said, adding that the agreement aims to “provide like-minded nations with the ability to comply with international rules, norms, and standards to maintain peace and stability in the Arctic and Antarctic regions for generations to come.”

The Canadian government said it is currently discussing its requirements with manufacturers and plans to modernize its existing fleet of four submarines, which it bought from Britain in 1998, over the next decade or so.

Canada currently spends 2% of its GDP on defence, which is lower than NATO requirements. guideBlair said Canada does not expect to reach that benchmark until 2032, while Canada’s defense policy goal is to increase defense investment to 1.4% of GDP by 2025.