The Polar Star heavy gas turbine icebreaker is being changed (diameter 4,8 m) during maintenance
Read the first part of the material here..
Another aspect of renting
Let's get back to the idea of renting an icebreaker or icebreakers. Lease arrangements often limit, how the vessel can be used under lease terms, which is also not very satisfied with US. AT 2017 year study of National Academies of Science, technology and medicine, authorized by Congress a year earlier, concluded, that icebreaker leasing was not a viable way for the Coast Guard.
Chartering (operating lease) not a viable option, noted in the study. The purchase is also quite difficult. Open market polar icebreakers extremely limited. (The committee is aware of the sale with 2010 years of only one more or less large icebreaker.) US experience chartering a polar icebreaker for an Antarctic expedition replenishment mission was problematic in two previous charter attempts (with Sweden and Russia).
“Chartering can be carried out only in case of short-term necessity and a specific mission. Committee notes, that chartering can prevent BOHR from performing its many tasks ”.
In its own study of the environmental impact of the Coast Guard in 2019 year for Polar Security Cutter (Coast Guard icebreaker) the service concluded, that there were no ships, available for rent, that would “substantially satisfy” operational requirements for its icebreaking needs.
Besides, any rental should be like this, that the Coast Guard provide staffing, ship training and equipment, taking all the costs while paying the privilege of having it, what makes such an arrangement a financially dubious prospect.
Looking for occasions
Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, energetic lobbyist for the US Senate Committee on US Armed Forces to channel more resources into the Arctic, He said, that the memorandum will add weight to ongoing efforts to build America’s presence in the Arctic. “Our adversaries are far ahead of the United States, when it comes to arctic infrastructure ”, Sullivan said in a statement.
“We have one heavy, half-functioning and one medium-functioning polar-class icebreaker, while in Russia there are more than fifty. I fought for five years, to bring Arctic issues to the fore, including the FY19 NDAA, to permit the construction of six such icebreakers, and put forward a bill, to develop opportunities and locations, necessary to support a permanent presence in the Arctic ”.
Although a presidential memo, apparently, caught regional observers by surprise, its content is consistent with the rhetoric of the administration regarding the region, said Eric Brattberg, Director of the European Program at the Carnegie Endowment. “The Trump administration in recent years has shown an increasing interest in Arctic issues, due to, in particular, China’s growing presence in the region. ”, - said Brattberg.
“While America’s allies and partners in Northern Europe would welcome a broader US presence in the Arctic, they also fear, that the region is becoming more visible due to competition between the US, Russia and China ”.
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The "growing" Chinese presence is expressed in the presence of the PRC as many as two research icebreaking vessels, and this is nothing more than an occasion.
The main irritant is Russia
But the best reason is, of course, Russia. RF, in particular, made clear to the international community, that she has basic economic interests in the Arctic, and she will defend them, even building icebreakers with cruise missiles and other weapons and building military bases, covering airspace with its air defense systems, Air defense system and aviation based there, and long-range coastal missiles with supersonic and soon hypersonic heavy missiles. country, having 7000 nautical miles of the arctic coast, sees the region as the key to its long-term economic success. President Vladimir Putin at 2017 year appreciated the mineral resource base of the region in 30 trillion. Doll. Well, unless in the USA they can endure this? After all, some other superpower is located over their personal resources!
At a February hearing in the Congress Subcommittee on Transport and Maritime Security, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Michael Murphy said, that Russia's military buildup in the Arctic threatens the northern flank of the United States and NATO. Although Russia cooperates in the field of oil spill response and search and rescue operations, USA suspicious of country’s actions, especially in the creation of the Arctic base and the installation of coastal rocket batteries, early warning radar and air defense systems, Murphy says.
“The buildup of Russian military power in the Arctic has consequences beyond its borders”, - he said.
“From a geostrategic point of view, the Arctic and the North Atlantic are inextricably linked. The Arctic provides Russian ships and submarines with access to the most important naval hub: tearing jook, which plays a huge role in NATO’s defense and containment strategy. Submarine transatlantic cables also pass through the area. ”.
"Shortly speaking, NATO’s northern flank should once again draw the attention of the United States and its allies. ”, - he added.
Similar to its concerns for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, hot spot in Sino-US relations, US casts doubt on Russia's attempts to force shippers to use Russian pilots and pay for the use of the Northern Sea Route, passing through the exclusive economic zone of Russia. Russia has invested heavily in icebreakers, to keep the Northern Sea Route open as long as possible every year, and so the country sees it as something like a toll road.
“Russia's restrictions on freedom of navigation along the Northern Sea Route do not comply with international law”, - said Murphy. About, that almost all the Northern Sea Route passes either in the exclusive economic zone of Russia, either in territorial or adjacent waters, and Russia has every right to do so, moreover, it bears responsibility and expenses for the maintenance of the NSR, Murphy, of course, forgot to mention.
Generally, they are worried, do you understand, for our Northern Sea Route. And the more there will be freight turnover (and it is growing by leaps and bounds and far exceeds the Soviet peak indicators for more than a year), the stronger it will be strengthened, the more anxiety there will be. Important to strengthen even better, so that anxiety does not outgrow the stages of biting your elbows with envy. And as for the construction of the icebreakers by the Americans, then let, of course, build or buy. Enough for everyone in the Arctic, especially if you don’t climb, where did not ask.
I. Vyatkin, especially for “military review”
