JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The Arctic Collaborative Workshop, drawing
military and civilian Arctic experts from Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway,
and the United States wrapped up on April 17, at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks.
The goal of the workshop was to increase the understanding
and awareness of the Arctic and its existing and potential partnerships, the
changing environmental conditions and limitations on response operations and
logistics, and the consequences of current and future capability gaps. Additionally,
the workshop was designed to explore prospective solutions to mitigate risk
through collaboration, technology, and innovation.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern
Command sponsored the workshop, co-hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks
with partner organization Joint Task Force Alaska. University hosting allowed participants
access to a wealth of local scientific and traditional knowledge and
perspectives on the Arctic.
Keynote speakers at the event included Alaska Lieutenant
Governor Mead Treadwell and NORAD Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Alain J.
Parent. Lt Governor Treadwell discussed
five reasons why Arctic national security should be a national priority: energy development and security, shipping
opportunities and safety, assessing and mitigating changes in climate and
fisheries, attaining land access and territorial claims, and promoting the
Arctic’s strategic position for military cooperation. Major policy imperatives for Alaska include
“filling the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, maintaining food security, promoting
job growth, attracting investment, and developing infrastructure,” said
Treadwell. For the nation, Treadwell said safety at sea, international
cooperation, and taking advantage of economic opportunities should be
prioritized.
Gen. Parent discussed Canada’s efforts to place more
emphasis on the Arctic, including opening of their new Army Training Center in
Resolute Bay, establishment of a deep-water port on Baffin Island, the building
of new Arctic patrol ships, design of a new Polar Class icebreaker, and an
increased emphasis on building systems to improve Arctic domain awareness.
United States’ Arctic initiatives focus on three lines of
effort from the U.S. Arctic Strategy:
advancing U.S. security interests, pursuing responsible Arctic region
stewardship, and strengthening international cooperation. Gen. Parent discussed the difficulty of
tackling big issues in the Arctic, but urged workshop participants to start
slowly moving the yardsticks down the field, and: “What matters is that [the yardsticks] are
moving and that we continually make progress in this great and exciting domain
we call the Arctic,” said Parent. He also mentioned that the types of
challenges we need to solve in the Arctic go well beyond the ability of a
single country or industry to solve; intelligent partnering is the key to
success.
Over the course of the three-day event, U.S. and foreign
participants from industry and the military, as well as federal, state and
borough government agencies shared organizational information and their Arctic
capabilities.
The Arctic
Collaborative Workshop affirmed to participants that living and operating in
the Arctic presents unique challenges that require not just a
whole-of-government, but also a whole-of-enterprise approach and international cooperation. Effective response in the Arctic is largely a
“come as you are” affair. The best
Arctic organizations seek to maintain close ties and exercise response
processes regularly as few assets or support will be available in a timely
manner from outside the region. The
bottom line is… partnerships are the key to success in the Arctic, and events
like the Arctic Collaborative Workshop are invaluable to forging those
relationships.