Antarctic/Arctic Rush

[tequilashooter]

Surprised that this wasn't being discussed or have its own thread but it regards militarization, icebreaker projects, living in cold conditions, transporting fuel, possibly another area of conflict later. Examples of starting off thread to get the general idea.

АО «Адмиралтейские верфи» спустит на воду уникальную платформу для Арктики

https://www.ng.ru/news/699972.html?print=Y Mig-31s on on Novaya Zemlya

https://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/135302/ Construction of new complex for Vostok station in Antarctica has been completed in Leningrad Region

Nuclear-powered container ship loads up 15,000 tons of construction goods, sets course for northernmost military base

The "Sevmorput" will break its way through Arctic ice to the Northern Fleet's new compound in Franz Josef Land.

thebarentsobserver.com

As Fossil Fuels Melt Arctic, Pentagon Dreams of North Pole War

(Tomdispatch.com) - In early March, an estimated 7,500 American combat troops will travel to Norway to join thousands of soldiers from other NATO countries in a massive mock battle with imagined invading forces from Russia. In this futuristic simulated engagement -- it goes by the name of...

www.juancole.com

Generates water from snow and ice in cold regions.

PPB-32 Field Shower Vehicle




arctic outposts

Sunrise could come for nuclear-powered submarine tanker

Sailing under the ice north of Siberia is cheaper than crushing through, a concept study concludes.

thebarentsobserver.com

Many Arctic nuclear projects ​

Nuclear power for exploring Arctic natural resources has good times in Russia after Rosatom last year became in charge of the Northern Sea Route Directorate, responsible for infrastructure and investments.

On Monday, the Barents Observer told the story about Rosatom’s plan for a nuclear-powered oil tanker for Arctic waters.

“It must be able to carry at least 100,000 tons and sail across the icy waters of the Northern Sea Route,” said Vyacheslav Ruksha, who is both deputy head of the Russian state nuclear power company and director of the Northern Sea Route Directorate.

On Rosatom’s wishing list is a large nuclear-powered oil tanker that can break through thick Arctic ice

It must be able to carry at least 100,000 tons and sail across the icy waters of the Northern Sea Route, says deputy head of the Russian state nuclear power company.

thebarentsobserver.com

On Rosatom’s wishing list is a large nuclear-powered oil tanker that can break through thick Arctic ice​

It must be able to carry at least 100,000 tons and sail across the icy waters of the Northern Sea Route, says deputy head of the Russian state nuclear power company

The US Air Force is fixing up a remote base that could help keep an eye on Russia

Keeping track of Russian ships and subs is a big part of the US military's growing focus on the Arctic, and that's hard to do without the right bases.

www.businessinsider.com

Trump Rushes To Lock In Oil Drilling In Arctic Wildlife Refuge Before Biden's Term

The Jan. 6 auction was set before the end of the comment and nominations period. If leases are finalized before Joe Biden takes office, they could be difficult to revoke.

www.npr.org

I got way more older information, but I think this will do, to start off how the thread will go in the bar.

 

[tequilashooter]

US deploying B-1 bombers to Norway to send a message to Russia

The US Air Force is deploying B-1 bombers to Norway for the first time in a move that sends a clear message to Moscow that the US military will operate in the strategically important Arctic region and demonstrate that it will defend allies in the area against any Russian aggression close to the...

www.cnn.com

 

[tequilashooter]

Dumping a bunch of news.

Pneumatic Airways for the Russian Army: Responding to Arctic Challenges

Pneumatic drive Krechet Z320-91. Not in the army yet. One of the reasons is the HYUNDAI D4BH turbodiesel. Source: tehnoimpuls.com Arktika from MSTU to KamAZ-Arktika. Source: wroom.ru One of the most successful Russian developers of equipment for the conditions of the Far North is the Student Design

en.topwar.ru

The youngest three-axle KamAZ-Arctic in the line uses serial drive axles from KamAZ-6522, springs from the rear suspension KamAZ-5460, shock absorbers and stabilizers from the KamAZ-65225 suspension.

The customer can choose from two motors - a V-shaped eight-cylinder 11-liter KamAZ-740.37-400 and an in-line six-cylinder 12-liter KamAZ-910.12. The authors indicate for the machine a carrying capacity of about 13 tons (dead weight - 16 tons), as well as the potential for autonomous movement.

Главком ВМФ рассказал президенту о всплытии трех подлодок в Арктике - Российская газета

По словам адмирала, экспедиция стартовала 20 марта и охватывает район архипелага Земля Франца Иосифа, остров Земля Александры и прилегающую к нему акваторию, покрытую сплошным льдом

rg.ru

The Defense Ministry disclosed some details of the report of the Chief of the Navy Nikolay Evmenov to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, March 26. This conversation took place via video conferencing and was dedicated to the complex expedition "Umka-21" taking place in the Arctic. In addition to the military, it involves specialists of the Russian Geographical Society.

Russian Defense Ministry releases video of three submarines in Arctic
Author: Russian Defense Ministry
According to the admiral, the expedition started on March 20 and covers the area of franz Joseph's Land archipelago, Alexandra Island and the adjacent area covered with solid ice.
"For the first time, a set of training, combat, research and practical activities of various orientations is being carried out in the polar regions according to a single plan and plan," Evmenov reported to the president. The command of the Navy attracted a rather large force - more than 600 soldiers and civilian personnel and about 200 samples of weapons, military and special equipment. Of the 43 planned operations and studies, 35 were carried out, including ten in conjunction with the Russian Geographical Society.

Медведев: РФ добилась успехов в повышении безопасности Арктики - Российская газета

"Было начато и реализовано немало крупных инфраструктурных проектов

rg.ru

"Many major infrastructure projects have been launched and implemented. In addition, it was possible to achieve success in improving the security of the region, to create groups of troops capable of effectively responding to external threats, to equip them with modern types of weapons," Medvedev said at a meeting of the inter-agency commission on the Arctic, RIA Novostiquotes him as saying.

Запад раскачивает военную ситуацию в Заполярье - Российская газета

Тем не менее, как считает командующий Северным флотом Александр Моисеев, ситуация в ближней морской зоне не столь критична

rg.ru

Nevertheless, according to the commander of the Northern Fleet Alexander Moiseyev, the situation in the near sea zone is not so critical. "There are no problems in the Arctic that need to be solved by military means or by force," the admiral said in an interview with Red Star.

This does not mean that our sailors do not react to the appearance of foreign military at the Russian borders. Moiseyev made no secret: the Northern Fleet controls the activities of foreign armed forces in the immediate vicinity of our borders and is forced to take pre-emptive steps to ensure the security of the Russian Arctic.

 

[Grey Havoc]

UK looked at buying area of Svalbard to boost fishing waters and set up spy post

Foreign minister attempted to purchase land for $250million, claiming it would be a 'serious bit of real-estate' after Brexit

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Grey Havoc]

Arctic mining takes centre stage in Greenland election

METATEXT

www.spacedaily.com

 

[tequilashooter]

"Will cover the northern direction": "Resonance-N" radar network is being deployed in the Arctic

The Ministry of Defense is deploying a network of "Resonance-N" radar stations in the Arctic; by the end of the year, five radars of this type will operate in the region. Reportedly, by the end of the second quarter of this year, the radar station deployed on Novaya Zemlya in 2019 will be on...

en.topwar.ru

Reportedly, by the end of the second quarter of this year, the radar station deployed on Novaya Zemlya in 2019 will be on alert, two more stations will be commissioned by the end of the year - the fourth in Gremikha and the fifth in Zapolyarny. The first and second radars "Resonance-N" are already on alert in the areas of the Kanin Nos peninsula and the settlement of Indiga.

It is noted that the new radar station in Zapolyarny, located 30 km from the Norwegian border, will provide full control of the airspace over the northern territories of Finland and Norway. The entire network of the "Resonance" radar station deployed in the Arctic will cover the northern direction.

As previously reported, "Resonance-N" is capable of detecting cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonic targets flying at speeds up to Mach 20, as well as aircraft created using stealth technology. The station is capable of detecting, recognizing and issuing target designation for aerodynamic air targets at a distance of 600 km, for ballistic targets - up to 1200 km, at an altitude of up to 100 km. The range of temperatures in which the radar can operate is quite wide - from -70 to +50 degrees Celsius.

Arctic Offshore Drilling Case Tossed as Moot after Biden Order

A federal court has dismissed a closely watched appeal involving Arctic oil and gas exploration in light of a recent policy reversal by the Biden administration.

news.bloomberglaw.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Blinken to seek Arctic cooperation in Greenland

METATEXT

www.spacedaily.com

 

[tequilashooter]

Горячий лед

nvo.ng.ru

The Northern Fleet is able to effectively withstand Russia's challenges and threats in the Arctic, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

"In order to strengthen the defense capability of the Russian Federation and protect its national interests in the Arctic, the Ministry of Defense is carrying out systematic work to improve the combat capabilities of the Northern Fleet. It is equipped with modern military equipment adapted for use in harsh climatic conditions. Militant training is being actively conducted, various research activities are being carried out," Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting in Murmansk.

The Minister recalled that the complex Arctic expedition "Umka-2021" was completed last week. "The value cannot be overestimated. For the first time in the history of the Russian fleet, three nuclear submarines were launched from under the ice at the same time," Shoigu said.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Coast Guard looks to expand Seattle base as US ramps up Arctic presence

The U.S. Coast Guard is proposing a renovation and expansion of its Seattle waterfront base that during the next decade will be home to three new icebreakers, and probably other vessels.

www.navytimes.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Russia warns West against Arctic encroachment ahead of talks - France 24

Russia warns West against Arctic encroachment ahead of talks

www.france24.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Russia's northernmost base projects its power across Arctic

During the Cold War, Russia's Nagurskoye airbase was little more than a runway, a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. Now, Russia's northernmost military base is bristling with missiles and radar and its extended runway can handle all types of...

news.yahoo.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Russia flexes muscles in challenge for Arctic control

Russia vows to protect its interests from a remote outpost as global warming opens up the Arctic.

www.bbc.com

DNyuz - Latest Breaking U.S. News

Latest Breaking News, U.S. and World Politics, Crime, Business, Science, Technology, Autos, Entertainment, Culture, Movie, Music, Sports.

dnyuz.com

 

[edwest4]

Inside Russia's Trefoil military base in the Arctic

BBC Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford gets rare access to the Russian military base, known as Arctic Trefoil.

www.bbc.com

 

[tequilashooter]

Better logistic transportation to Arctic. https://arctic.ru/infrastructure/20210421/992950.html

Putin calls for launching construction of Yamal railway

In his 2021 Address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin noted that the Government of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, as well as major Russian companies, could launch the construction of the Northern Latitudinal Railway using the infrastructure loans mechanism. According to the President, the new railway will expedite the exploration of the immensely rich Arctic resources. They have been working on this project for quite a while now, and it is about time it was launched, Putin noted.

The regional Administration’s press service quotes Head of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area Dmitry Artyukhov as saying:

“I am grateful to the President for the high trust he accorded to our region. Yamal is ready to act as a pilot region for the introduction of the new financial mechanism of infrastructure loans. The well-substantiated Northern Latitudinal Railway construction project has tremendous significance for developing the Arctic still further.”

The Head of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area also pointed out that it was the venue for major national industrial projects, and that this implied new oil and gas processing prospects, rather than traditional oil and gas extraction. It is necessary to expand the transport infrastructure in order to make these projects more cost-effective, Artyukhov added.

“The Northern Latitudinal Railway is a key link that will change Arctic logistics and will make it possible to expand the region’s transport potential. It will also reduce the cost of new projects. After joining up with the Bovanenkovo-Sabetta route, this railway will ensure uninterrupted logistic links with the Northern Sea Route and sales markets,” he went on to say.

The goal of the Northern Latitudinal Railway project is to build a mainline that would link the Yamal Peninsula with the Ural region and northwestern Russia. It will also connect the country’s transport system with the Northern Sea Route via the Sabetta port, will include the Obskaya-2, Salekhard, Nadym and other stations and will stretch toward Novy Urengoi via an upgraded existing section. The railway will facilitate the development of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area’s natural resources.

 

[tequilashooter]

India in talks with Russia over investments in Russian oil and gas assets – sources

India in talks with Russia over investments in Russian oil and gas assets – sources

www.rt.com

India is negotiating investments of between two and three billion dollars in Russian oil and gas exploration and production projects with the Russian government, the Business Standard newspaper reports, citing unnamed officials.

According to the paper, the Russian government has offered several oil and gas fields to India’s natural resources exploration firm ONGC Videsh and to any potential consortium it may form for the project.

“This will be for exploring and producing oil and gas in Russia. While the project and scope have not been finalized, talks have begun,” one of the sources told the newspaper.

Sources say the countries are also in talks over India's investment in oil and gas exploration projects in the Arctic, namely in the development of the Vostok Oil project. The project’s annual crude production could be up to 100 million tons, according to preliminary estimates.

The cited sources stated that three Russian Far Eastern regions, namely Yakutia, Sakhalin Oblast and Amur Oblast, have so far shown interest in investment by India in their oil and gas sectors.

India sees oil and gas-related interaction with Russia as a "flagship sector of commercial cooperation between the two nations,” India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said earlier. The country has also been looking at extending economic ties with Russia in areas such as coking coal, timber and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as it sees great potential there.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Russian troopers train radiation combat skills in borderland to Norway

Soldiers with the Northern Fleet’s special unit exercised operations in a simulated radioactive contaminated war zone in the Pechenga valley, some 15 kilometers from the border to Norway.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Chinese icebreaker sails to North Pole, explores remote Arctic ridge

The Xue Long 2 (Snow Dragon 2) is on its second Arctic voyage during which it will conduct scientific surveys in the Gakkel Ridge.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Russians offer Chinese oilmen a taste of Arctic methanol

The developers of the far northern Indiga project are courting Chinese investors.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

From back in 2020:

New Barents Sea port and 500 km railway link could help connect Asia with the Arctic

Russia pushes for more of the global cargo flow to go north. A new year-round port near Indiga in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, connected to the Belkomur railway, could be an attractive trade route across the Eurasian continent.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Big oil, gas and coal making headway on Russian Arctic coast

Hundreds of ships loaded with construction materials shuttle to the sites of new nonrenewable energy projects.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Norway sets timeline to deploy sub-hunting aircraft in the Arctic

The move marks significant progress in the country’s long-term effort to bolster defense capabilities and readiness in the region.

www.defensenews.com

 

[publiusr]

I wonder if the circumantarctic air and sea currents can be harvested

 

[Grey Havoc]

Russian emergencies minister Zinichev dies on Arctic drill

Yevgeny Zinichev was killed while trying to save a cameraman who had fallen into water, reports say.

www.bbc.com

RIP

 

[Grey Havoc]

From last year:

China's Nuclear Icebreakers Should Send a Chill Down Your Spine

Most of the writing about this prospective ship has focused on the implications that such an “experiment” could have for China’s nascent nuclear aircraft carrier project. But what of China’s Arctic ambitions?

nationalinterest.org

 

[Grey Havoc]

A Russian rig prepares for drilling in the Barents Sea

Amid a historical gas crisis, Gazprom hopes to open another giant field at its Ledovoye license area.

thebarentsobserver.com

Nuclear subs made trans-Arctic under-ice transfer from Barents to Pacific

Two of Russia’s newest nuclear-powered submarines have completed a 5,500 nm voyage under the Arctic ice cap.

thebarentsobserver.com

Norway cancels Coast Guard visit to Murmansk

An unofficial visit to the port of Murmansk previously agreed upon between FSB Border Guards and the Norwegian Joint Headquarters will not take place.

thebarentsobserver.com

FSB tightens control at Arctic exit route amid border closure rumours

Crowds of young men fleeing from conscription are Tuesday morning heading towards Norway from Murmansk. Controls are intensified at Titovka checkpoint.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Energy security: "Situation is grave, measures are implemented"

"The incident in the Baltic Sea gives reason to maintain and strengthen measures to protect the petroleum industry," says Tone Vangen, Director of Norway's Police Directorate’s Emergency Preparedness.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Nuclear-powered multipurpose ship for Arctic operations presented

Iceberg, the design bureau responsible for Russia’s fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, has unveiled plans for a new series of special purpose vessels to help develop the Arctic regions.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Murmansk eyes sharp raise in hazardous nuclear waste management

Atomflot calls for a tender for a pre-study of a new complex for reloading and handling spent nuclear fuel from Russia’s new generations of maritime reactors used onboard icebreakers and floating nuclear power plants in the Arctic.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[edwest4]

"... floating nuclear power plants..." Hmmmmm...

 

[Grey Havoc]

Interesting that you should focus on that just as I came across this article from back in late August:

Construction of second Arctic floating nuclear power plant is underway

Three years after “Akademik Lomonosov” started to produce electricity for the remote Siberian community of Pevek, the first of four in a new generation of up-scaled floating nuclear power plants for the Arctic is now officially under construction at a yard in China.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[edwest4]

Not to only focus on the negative but what about sabotage? I recall photos of unmanned aircraft crashing into walls designed to protect land reactors from such impacts. On the other hand, I wonder if European countries with sufficient coastal waters have considered this.

 

[Grey Havoc]

On a related note to my last post, from February of 2021:

State developers plan flotilla of floating reactors on Russian East Arctic coast

Nuclear power company Rosatom intends to build five floating NPPs in the Chukotka Peninsula that will serve several mining projects in the area.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

US Coast Guard Cutter Healy Reaches the North Pole

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) reached the North Pole Friday after traversing the frozen Arctic Ocean, marking only the second time a U.S.

www.marinelink.com

 

[GK Dundas]

"... floating nuclear power plants..." Hmmmmm...

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[edwest4]

"... floating nuclear power plants..." Hmmmmm...

What could possibly go wrong?

That was my first thought.

 

[publiusr]

Tow-then sink...fill with concrete and driling mud..some water glass?

 

[Grey Havoc]

White House Arctic strategy calls for enhanced military presence

The enhanced U.S. posture aims to deter increased Russian and Chinese activity in the region as global warming rapidly melts the Polar ice caps.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Norway deploys radiation drones along its coast amidst nuclear emergency concerns

Five Coast Guard ships are soon to carry drones with sensors capable of detecting radioactivity in case of a maritime accident involving a potential release from a reactor-powered civilian or military vessel.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

From October of last year:

On remotest Arctic coast comes a nuclear-powered gold mine

The Kyuchus field will be one of Russia's biggest gold mining projects. Its development includes the building of a nuclear power station.

thebarentsobserver.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

No return to pre-war reality when it comes to Arctic cooperation, says Finnish report

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has upended international Arctic cooperation and there will be “no return to the pre-war reality,” says a report commissioned by the Finnish government.

thebarentsobserver.com

Russia steps up military posturing in the Arctic ahead of NATO’s nuclear drill

The week ahead will not be an easy sleep for security observers. Numerous military watchouts in Russia's northwestern regions.

thebarentsobserver.com