< p _ngcontent-sc100="" class="news-annotation">Members of the US National Guard trained in northern Michigan. They were training to repel possible attacks from China and Russia.
The first run of Northern Strike 23 has ended. This is a 10-day combined arms exercise of the US National Guard, which is learning to repel enemy attacks from the Arctic.
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The Arctic may have a confrontation in the future
Northern Strike measures The US National Guard is now in its sixth year. The goal is to prepare the US military for a military confrontation in the Arctic, where as the ice melts, waterways become more passable for ships, and countries such as China and Russia increase their military presence.
If you look at a map from the North Pole, you can see how close all these countries are, said Army General Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau.
He noted that temperatures in the Arctic are rising and access to its territories.
We are starting to see countries moving into these areas. And there will be competition,” Hokanson said.
In addition to such adversaries as Russia and China, NATO allies such as Norway operate in the Arctic. These are the countries that the US will be required to support in the event of a confrontation.
We must be prepared to go where there is potential fighting, and we must establish a presence there. added the general.
How Northern Strike was trained
- As part of his visit on January 26, Hokanson took part in training on the M777 howitzer.
- Main focus field artillery was given during the exercise.
- An engineering platoon was also trained to help build makeshift firing bases and repair roads.
- In addition, soldiers of the Latvian special forces were at the scene. They are regular participants in the exercises, as they are alarmed by Russian military expansion.
