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There are dozens of personnel offices and facilities in the Arctic, and hundreds more that contain radar installations and other support equipment.
The military build-up at the top of the world began in World War II, and was reversed when the Cold War ended. But as climate change accelerates over the past decade and Russia wages war in Europe, the Arctic is re-militarizing.
The vast majority of Arctic territory belongs to Canada, but its military presence is relatively light compared to other Arctic nations. Here is what the military image looks like:
Canada
There are currently eight manned military bases in the Canadian Arctic, the largest being in Yellowknife. There are facilities in Whitehorse, Iqaluit, Inuvik and a few other communities. The alarm at the top of Ellemere Island is the northernmost military installation in the world. There are about 55 people at any given time, although no one lives permanently on the alert.
Canadian Coast Guard It is found in the ArcticBut it is easy to say that the cover is thin. The northern headquarters is in the coastal Yellowknife, and it employs only 100 full-time workers in the Arctic. This is despite the fact that the Arctic has 162,000 kilometers of coastline, 60 percent of Canada’s total.
Canada operates 47 radar stations that make up the Northern Warning System, but those are not manned.
Greenland
There are only three military bases in the state, the largest of which is the US Pentagon Space Base (formerly known as Thule Air Base). It operates the world’s northernmost deep water port, frozen in ice for nine months of the year. In addition, the airport operates throughout the year.
There are also small facilities – in the capital of Nuuk and on the south coast – operated by Danish soldiers.
During the Cold War, the US had up to 13 military bases in Greenland. By A Treaty with Denmark In the year Signed in 1951, there is nothing stopping America from establishing a base. That treaty made clear that Denmark had sovereignty over Greenland, but essentially gave the US a free hand to have as large a military presence as it wanted.
US
Alaska is the only part of the US in the Arctic Ocean, and that’s where all ten of its domestic northern military installations are located. Some are airfields that host F-35 and F-22 fighter jets. Other soldiers home.
Fort Greeley operates interceptor missiles designed to shoot down missiles from hostile countries such as North Korea.
The US can send submarines to the Arctic year-round, but submarines will be more active farther south.
Russia
The biggest military player in the Arctic is definitely Russia. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 30 to 40 military installations in the northern part of the country. Some are scattered along Russia’s vast Arctic coast, including in the Far East near Alaska.
But most of Russia’s Arctic forces are concentrated on the Kola Peninsula, along the Barents Sea bordering Norway and Finland. Some analysts estimate that there may be more military firepower than anywhere else on Earth. Russia has at least three airfields that host fighter, surveillance and transport aircraft. There are also several bases that host soldiers.
The fleet of the Russian Northern Navy is based on Kola, which includes dozens of surface ships, submarines, ice planes and other vessels.
Norway
Norway is one of the few NATO members that shares a land border with Russia and has always been wary of its eastern neighbor – the idea being that if Norway does not show its military power in the Arctic, Moscow will try to fill the gap.
As a result, Norway has 15 military installations in its relatively small Arctic territory. They include bases for the military, air force and coast guard.
Norway has sovereignty over the Svalbard Islands. In 1920, however, these islands were demilitarized.