The U.S. Army has increased its presence in the state of Alaska following increased military activity from Russia and China in and around the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). At the same time, state and federal officials from Alaska are calling for an increased military investment into the state.
Russia and China began conducting military exercises together in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans on 10 September. In the weeks since, U.S. forces have detected four separate incursions by foreign military aircraft into the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone and one instance of a foreign naval vessel entering the U.S. EEZ. These activities follow an instance in July when three Chinese military ships traversed through the U.S. EEZ and were confronted by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Following the July encounters, United Catcher Boats Executive Director Brent Paine said the foreign military vessels make commercial fishers nervous.
“We just want to know that the U.S. government is very well aware that these ships are there – and it would be nice to know, if they know, why they’re there," Paine told the Juneau Empire.
Although all foreign military forces left the EEZ without further incident, the U.S. military has responded by increasing its presence in the region. On 12 September, more than 100 soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division of the U.S. Army were deployed to the Aleutian Islands.
“As the number of adversarial exercises increases around Alaska and throughout the region, including June’s joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol, the operation to Shemya Island demonstrates the division’s ability to respond to events in the Indo-Pacific or across the globe, with a ready, lethal force within hours,” Major General Joseph Hilbert, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in a statement.
Following the deployment, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy released a statement calling for the U.S. to increase its military investment into the state.
“Once again our military has had to respond to activities by our nation’s adversaries,” Dunleavy said. “Russian and Chinese incursions into U.S. zones off Alaska have become an increasingly frequent occurrence. Alaska’s strategic position on the globe gives the United States an advantage in the Arctic and the Pan-Pacific, but we need leaders in Washington to recognize that Russia and China are increasing their military presence in the region, and the U.S. must increase its military investment in Alaska if we are to continue to ensure protection of our people and resources.”
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also released a statement criticizing the foreign military presence near Alaska.
“As the world becomes more dangerous, Alaska continues to be on the frontlines of authoritarian aggression,” Sullivan said. “Coordinated activity off Alaska’s shores by the Russians and Chinese is increasing: On five separate occasions in the past seven days, Russian military incursions into our ADIZ or EEZ have occurred – both naval and air. In the past two years, we’ve seen joint Russian-Chinese air and naval exercises off our shores and a Chinese spy balloon floating over our communities. These escalating incidents demonstrate the critical role the Arctic plays in great power competition between the U.S., Russia, and China."
