Over the past decade, nations bordering on the Arctic have found
themselves with a big new security problem. The melting of the arctic
ice has opened up shipping lanes and opportunities for the exploitation
for undersea resources, but has also exposed vulnerabilities for
countries that have long considered their northern frontier secure.
It’s not surprising that Russia has prepared its military
for arctic operations better than any other country. During the Cold
War, the Soviet Union prepared to fight across the Arctic, both in the
air and at sea. Many of the weapons and much of the expertise from that
era have remained, leaving the Kremlin with a lethal set of
capabilities. Here are five systems we can expect Russia to use in order
to defend its interests in the Arctic Ocean, in case the unthinkable
ever occurred.
