U.S., Allies Focus on Partnerships in Iceland Amid Rapid Change in Region

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., met with fellow defense chiefs from across the Arctic in Keflavik, Iceland, today as part of the focus among the U.S. and its allies' continued partnership in ensuring peace and security in the rapidly evolving region.

In addition to the U.S. and Iceland, senior military officers representing Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden gathered as part of this year's Arctic Chiefs of Defense meeting to discuss regional situational awareness and opportunities for further collaboration.

"The goal is to enhance our domain awareness and maneuver building in the Arctic," Brown said. "The U.S. commitment is to secure the Arctic, uphold international law and support our NATO allies."

This year's meeting marks Brown's first time attending the forum as chairman. During the visit, Brown also met bilaterally with his counterparts from Sweden and Norway.

The forum is being held for the first time since the Defense Department released its 2024 Arctic Strategy in July which lays out the U.S. military's approach amid rapid geophysical and geopolitical change in the region.

The U.S. has long recognized the Arctic as a linchpin to homeland defense. During the Cold War, the Arctic served as an avenue of approach for Soviet bombers and missiles in the event of an attack on the U.S.

Competition in the Arctic has grown exponentially in recent decades, due in part to the thawing of once ice-choked sea lanes brought on by a warming climate, further opening avenues of approach.

The warmer waters also provide access to rich energy and mineral deposits and create potential for disputes about fishing rights as migration patterns shift.

The 2024 strategy notes that the increasing impacts of climate change in the Arctic in addition to increased activity by Russia and China in the region have introduced a new and more dynamic security environment in the Arctic.

Russia, which accounts for a broad swath of Arctic Ocean coastline has increasingly sought to extend its influence in the region.

China, while not an Arctic nation, has also increasingly sought to extend its influence in the region in its long-term planning and to take advantage of regional resources.

The DOD strategy also highlights the increasing collaboration in the region between Russia and China across multiple instruments of regional power, including through joint military exercises in the region.

"We are seeing more and more activity where Russia and [China] are working together, and the Arctic is the most recent area we're seeing," Brown said. "It's something we all need to be paying attention to."

In response to these challenges, the blueprint lays out steps to enhance the Joint Force's Arctic capabilities through investments in sensors, intelligence and information sharing capabilities. It also prioritizes engagement with regional allies and partners in order to strengthen integrated deterrence and shared security.

Brown said the goals laid out in the strategy include a secure Arctic that fosters global and regional prosperity and a focus on integration and leveraging the military strength and regional expertise of Arctic allies. The strategy also calls engaging in dialogue with allies and indigenous communities.

The chairman added that the U.S. remains focused on deterring any malign activities including Russia's modernization of capabilities that pose risks to the allied territories and interests, China's growing influence in the region and the increasing cooperation between the two countries.