Russia Prepares Militarization Of Arctic

[Purveyor]

By Ed Adamczyk | Oct. 21, 2014 at 9:21 AM | 21 Comments

MOSCOW, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Russia has begun a large-scale militarization of the Arctic Ocean region, with a military command structure planned by 2017.

It comes after recent discoveries of oil and natural gas reserves under the ocean floor, and the possibility a potential Northern Sea Route -- an alternative to the Suez Canal -- could soon be established as global climate change causes melting of Arctic ice.

Former Soviet bases are being reactivated, a 6,000-soldier permanent military force will be established in the northwest Russia's Murmansk region, and radar and guidance systems are planned in the area, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Col. Oleg Salyukov said, "For the defense of national interests in the Arctic, a multiservice task force will be formed. A motorized rifle arctic brigade is now being formed in the Murmansk region. The second arctic brigade will be formed in 2016 and will be stationed in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous region," a reference to the Arctic Circle area east of the Ural Mountains, RIA Novosti reported earlier this month.

Combat missions were simulated recently during the full-scale "Vostok 2014" military exercises.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2014/10/21/Russia-prepares-militarization-of-Arctic/2741413894698/#ixzz3GoV9QUZn

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Ya but....Victoria Nuland...PNAC!!!11

[malthaussen]

2. They'd be negligent if they didn't.

Contingency planning is all about contingencies, and military commands aren't supposed to offer "oops, we didn't think of that" as an excuse.

What I find more interesting about this is how well it demonstrates the cynic's reaction to global warming: far from trying to do anything about it, they want to prepare to exploit it.

-- Mal

[William769]

3. I wonder if they will use their army from the internet troll farm?