The US Navy (Navy) will begin regular patrols near Russian shores in the Arctic to “discourage Moscow from advancing in the High North.” This was stated by the US Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite, writes Breaking Defense.
During a conference call with reporters, the minister said that Washington will have to “act more aggressively” in the Arctic in the coming years to challenge both Russian and, to a lesser extent, Chinese claims in the High North.
Speaking about the possibility of the US Navy conducting “freedom of navigation operations” off the northern shores of Russia, Braithwaite stressed that Washington intends to “guarantee freedom of navigation to partners” and called such a strategy a “right” and “duty” of the United States as “the dominant military sea power in the world. “
The minister named submarines as the main advantage of the United States. He pointed out that Russia has its own icebreaker fleet, and China is building ships at a pace that the American fleet “cannot match.” Therefore, he believes, the United States can lease ships until its own is built.
Earlier in a new report by the US Navy, China was identified as the main threat to the global dominance of the US Navy. The document singles out Russia and China as the main competitors, but it is Beijing, not Moscow, that is described as the greatest cause for concern.
