Send troops to the Pole

BRITAIN and Nato should increase their ­military presence in the North Pole, says a leading academic.

Troops could go to the Pole if an academic s advice is followed Troops could go to the Pole if an academic's advice is followed

Climate change and melting ice caps will mean new ways to cross the globe and a permanent change of the region’s geo-political landscape, while giving new access to massive oil and gas reserves.

In his report Professor Paul Berkman, head of Cambridge University’s Arctic Ocean Geopolitics Programme, said that the world cannot rely on the same level of peaceful resolution to problems in the Arctic Circle that it has had so far.

“There are two sides of the coin of peace, promote cooperation and prevent conflict, and neither is sufficient without the other,” he said, in the report for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

“Without active shared dialogues to prevent conflict, it is a matter of serendipity that tensions in the Arctic region have been low since the Cold War.”

None of the countries which border the North Pole, Russia, Canada, the United States, Greenland which is owned by Denmark and Norway, have specifically advocated peace in the region.

The North Pole is not currently regarded as part of any single country's territory and is therefore administered by the International Seabed Authority.

However, current laws grant countries an economic zone of 200 nautical miles beyond their land borders. However, this zone can be extended where a country can prove that the structure of the continental shelf is similar to the geological structure within its territory.

In 2007, Russia caused global controversy by planting a flag on the seabed 1,400 feet beneath the ice cap.

Moscow argues that an underwater feature, known as the Lomonosov Ridge, is an extension of its continental territory.

 “It is largely because of potential mineral resources that the 2007 Russian flag planting has become the rallying cry of the five coastal states for their sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in large areas of the Arctic Ocean,” says Prof. Berkman.

At stake is an estimated 30 per cent of the world’s undiscovered gas, 770 trillion cubic feet, and 30 per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil, around 618 million barrels.

“The elephant in the room is the long-standing presence of strategic military assets in the Arctic Ocean,” adds Prof. Berkman.

Russia has been testing Intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Arctic since 1961, with its Northern Fleet still launching nuclear missiles that could hit targets in Europe or the United States unimpeded.

“In effect, the Cold War never ended in the Arctic Ocean,” he adds.

Prof. Berkman’s warning has the backing of senior Nato and British military figures.

Commenting on the report Admiral James Stravridis, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, said: “As more commercial entities, eco-tourists and others operate or travel through the Arctic Ocean, the likelihood of mishaps, hazards to navigation, or encroachment on sovereignty may require a military response.”

Alarmingly, Britain has just a single arctic patrol vessel with limited ice breaking abilities.

Last night Rear Admiral Chris Parry, formerly one of the Ministry of Defence’s chief strategists, said: “I have been warning about this for the last ten years. The situation has moved from strategic concerns to the bleeding obvious.

“The Royal Navy has just one ice ship, HMS Endurance, and that’s not even operational for the time being.

“Otherwise, we just have our submarines, which we much customise to be able to operate under the ice.

“Russia has always laid claim to its back yard. The extra complication is that Russia also uses the region as a dumping ground for nuclear waste, and this is just one reason of many why it may be looking at increased American and European interest with alarm.

“We are so used to thinking of the globe on an east to west axis. The reality is that opening sea routes through the arctic will change all of that. It is countries like Canada that will rise in strategic importance like never before.”

Ice-free summers in the arctic could mean new routes between Europe and Asia that go through the Arctic Ocean and are 30 per cent shorter than current alternatives through the Panama or Suez Canals.

But territorial claims could mean special levies for international shipping.

Canada already imposes its Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act, while Russia has rules for vessel transit, including escorts by Russian icebreakers, designated routes and various taxes.

“It is not yet a fait accompli that the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free during the summer but this transformation is underway,” says Prof. Berkman.

“Engines are starting, competitors are lining up and the race is about to begin.“

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