Antarctica: Operational Concerns for the 21st Century.

• Main Author: Smoots, James W.
• Other Authors: NAVAL WAR COLL NEWPORT RI DEPT OF OPERATIONS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1991
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Military Operations; Strategy and Tactics; *NATIONAL SECURITY; *ANTARCTIC REGIONS; RESPONSE; RESOURCES; TREATIES; MILITARY COMMANDERS; EMPLOYMENT; GLOBAL; COLD WAR; *COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS; MILITARY GEOGRAPHY; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; NATURAL RESOURCES; MILITARY FORCES(UNITED STATES); MILITARY PLANNING; NATIONAL INTERESTS; DEVELOPING NATIONS; ICE; AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS; NAVAL OPERATIONS; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA240594; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA240594

The Antarctic Region has received little attention from either national or military leaders since the late 1950's. The reason is that the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1961, has been able to provide a means for continued stability and security in the region. It has been a treaty whose success has been made possible by a rare consensus of the national interests of nations involved in the region. This consensus, however, is coming under more and more pressure as nations reassess their interests in light of the effective end of the Cold War. Emerging nations are becoming more assertive and better able to contend for what they see as their share of the world's resources. The future disposition of the Antarctic with its unresolved sovereignty and its resource potential will eventually become a contentious issue. Conflict in this region over sovereignty or regional influence would threaten U.S. national security interests and could require a military response. The employment of military force in the Antarctic would, however, be extremely difficult due to the number of severe operational constraints inherent to the region. Military planners, especially at the CINC level, need to be aware of these constraints and develop contingency plans that focus directly on operations in this region.