Evaluating Cost-alignment Alternatives in Support of a Coast Guard Arctic Strategy

The Arctic Ocean is warming, creating challenges and opportunities for the United States in this strategically important region. U.S. policymakers have charged the interagency community to assess and prepare. The Department of Defense (DoD) has determined that its current strategic posture in the Ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Glander, Michael W
Other Authors: ARMY WAR COLLEGE CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Government and Political Science
Military Operations
Strategy and Tactics
*ARCTIC REGIONS
*COAST GUARD OPERATIONS
*DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
ACCOUNTABILITY
CHINA
COST ANALYSIS
CRUDE OIL
ENERGY
INVESTMENTS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RUSSIA
STRATEGY
TRUST FUNDS
COAST GUARD ARCTIC STRATEGY
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA589321
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA589321
Description
Summary:The Arctic Ocean is warming, creating challenges and opportunities for the United States in this strategically important region. U.S. policymakers have charged the interagency community to assess and prepare. The Department of Defense (DoD) has determined that its current strategic posture in the Arctic is adequate. It is wary about investing more resources in the Arctic through the midterm (2020-2030). The U.S. Coast Guard is already increasing its Arctic operations as human activity increases there. Presently, increased Coast Guard Arctic operations are being driven by offshore oil development. These operations require the Coast Guard to shift resources from other priorities and risks elsewhere in the maritime domain. This paper recommends improved alignment between the costs and benefits of future Coast Guard Arctic operations. It evaluates alternative funding options for policymakers to consider in support of a Coast Guard Arctic Strategy, recommending one for further exploration. It concludes that better cost-alignment would strengthen the Strategy; further, it could accelerate the development of an Arctic maritime infrastructure, which may serve as a prudent hedge to DoD s own conservative Arctic investment strategy.

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