Faced with declining ice cover, U.S. Navy eyes greater presence in Arctic

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Faced with declining ice cover, U.S. Navy eyes greater presence in Arctic
By Reuters
Saturday, March 1, 2014 21:10 EST
By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy is mapping out how to expand its presence in the Arctic beginning about 2020, given signs that the region’s once permanent ice cover is melting faster than expected, which is likely to trigger more traffic, fishing and resource mining.

“The Arctic is all about operating forward and being ready. We don’t think we’re going to have to do war-fighting up there, but we have to be ready,” said Rear Admiral Jonathan White, the Navy’s top oceanographer and navigator, and director of the Navy’s climate change task force.

“We don’t want to have a demand for the Navy to operate up there, and have to say, ‘Sorry, we can’t go,’” he said.

The Navy this week released an “aggressive” update to its 2009 Arctic plan after a detailed analysis of data from a variety of sources showed that seasonal ice is disappearing faster than had been expected even three years ago. The document said the Bering Strait was expected to see open water conditions about 160 days a year by 2020, with the deep ocean routes of the Transpolar transit route forecast to be open for up to 45 days annually by 2025.



Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/01/faced-with-declining-ice-cover-u-s-navy-eyes-greater-presence-in-arctic/

[kelliekat44]

1. I mentioned this months ago. There i oil there and Russia and China have beat us to the punch...nt

[Turbineguy]

2. Another opportunity to spend zillions on new ships.

[KG]

3. at what point does country stop pretending the military is 'protecting our freedoms' and realize

its main jobs is protecting the financial interests of major multinational corps?

[City Lights]

8. !

[blkmusclmachine]

10. +1,000. Big Oil needs its Big Ships to protect its Big Investment/Big Profits

[CANDO]

4. So where do the wing nuts get the idea of expanding ice cover?

I've heard them say this in response to global warming. I didn't dare ask where they've heard it because I didn't want to engage in the circular bullshit slinging.

[XemaSab]

14. My understanding is that they're looking at Antarctica

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/antarctic.sea.ice.interactive.html

[wyldwolf]

5. so Atlantis and the alien evidence will finally thaw out. Interesting.

[Auntie Bush]

6. ***

I cry because between the Chinese, Russian, US and oil companies there is going to be some oil spills and they will much worse than the Exxon Valdez and BP spills. It will be almost impossible to clean up in those conditions. Sooooo many animals will be covered in oil and freeze to death. I feel for my beloved polar bears.

[zonkers]

13. I feel ya, Auntie. Sigh....

[L0oniX]

7. So ...global warming is good for the MIC.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. "Pirates of Arctic"

The series practically writes itself.

This week the U.S. Navy goes after whale poachers and saves a polar bear cub stranded on the last iceberg.

Next week: Gamera Thaws!

[Hekate]

11. The US military is not run by idiots, is what this means. The Pentagon has been preparing...

....for years for the negative impacts of global climate change. They know the seas will rise/are rising, that there will be population disruptions. Years ago I read about a study done by the Pentagon during the Bush/Cheney administration, while the politicians were still using Al Gore as a punch line.

In addition, international commercial shipping lines including the US and Japan were eying and planning for the commercial possibilities offered by fast-coming year-round open sea lanes in the Arctic.

The only people who don't believe it are the stupidest of American fundies, Tea Partiers, and GOP politicians. Most of the GOP politicians and RW media moguls and their talking heads know the truth -- but are cynically dedicated to manipulating their base.

The military has a different mandate -- to protect this country, even from the rising seas, and whatever else they are, they are not stupid.

,

[NickB79]

12. Man, aren't they gonna feel like idiots

When Faux News informs them that global warming is all a hoax