Arctic in Focus at MRS '24

At the Maritime Risk Symposium 2024, scheduled for June 11-13 at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, RADM Matt Bell, USCG (Ret.) facilitates a panel entitled: Multi-Service and Maritime Industry Collaboration in the Arctic, to better understand how the changing dynamics in the Arctic region will necessitate increased collaboration between the maritime services and industry to mitigate the risks of Arctic maritime operations. Joining RADM Bell on the panel are:

• RADM Megan Dean, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard District Seventeen
• Steve White CAPT, USCG (ret), Executive Director, Marine Exchange of Alaksa
• Art Dahlin, Vice President and Alaska General Manager, TOTE Marine Alaska
• Mick Bradway, Resource Evaluation Division, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region  

Panel 6 “Multi-Service and Maritime Industry Collaboration in the Arctic”

U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Exchange Alaska, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Alaska Region, and TOTE Maritime Alaska panelists will examine current and emerging Arctic maritime threats. They will discuss how the sea services and maritime industry can best collaborate to mitigate risks associated with conducting operations in a dynamic and pristine Arctic.

As competitive maritime activity increases in a more accessible Arctic region, a greater understanding is required.  The area in and around the Arctic maritime spaces should include the priorities, challenges, and opportunities to meet the mutually shared goals of conducting Arctic maritime operations safely and effectively.  The ever-evolving competition increases the demands across the globe for all maritime services to advance peace, prosperity, security, and ensure a rules-based order is manifested in the tenants of presence and influence.  The Pacific gateway to the Arctic provides an ever-widening avenue for the movement of goods and services from Asia to a demanding and lucrative European market. These potential trade routes coupled with improved access to critical minerals, innovative approaches to communications, and the complexities surrounding the exit ramp to Northern Europe are the Arctic cacophony of the future. All sea service and maritime industries must leverage past lessons learned and collaborative forums to inform the critical future of Arctic safety, security, stewardship, and ensure responsible economic development. The United States is an Arctic Nation, with keen interests in the maritime global commons, the littorals and seabeds. The United States has seen significant changes in and around the Arctic region since the first tri-service strategy was released over 16 years ago.  The strategy was updated in 2015 as, A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower and once again in December 2020. The current tri-service maritime strategy is titled: Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power. The overarching theme of the current version of the tri-service maritime strategy is:

“The United States is a maritime nation. Our security and prosperity depend on the seas. The Naval Service—forward deployed and capable of both rapid response and sustained operations globally—remains America’s most persistent and versatile instrument of military influence. Integrated All-Domain Naval Power, leveraging the complementary authorities and capabilities of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, advances the prosperity, security, and promise of a free and open, rules-based order.”

As U.S. and allied military senior leaders look to update future versions of their military plans and strategies, this panel will examine what key Arctic maritime military and marine industry collaborative themes should be on their radar.

CLICK HERE For more information and to register for the Maritime Risk Symposium 2024.