NATO's Northern Flank in 2020: Limiting Russian Influence in the Arctic

Abstract

For political, economic, and historical reasons, Russia has increased its aggressive posture in the region known traditionally as the Northern Flank, which encompasses Scandinavia and its surrounding waters. Russia's strategic objectives are to protect its freedom of maneuver and sea lines of communication to the Atlantic, as well as increase its sphere of influence in the northern and Arctic regions. The implementation of the Northern Flank strategy's elements of deterrence and security through forward presence and partnerships as manifested by NATO during the Cold War is applicable in the future operational environment to limit the influence of Russia with respect to the importance of the Arctic region, new geopolitical agreements, and diplomatic limitations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 03, 2016
Accession Number
AD1176167

Entities

People

  • Rolland Johnson

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Arctic Regions
  • Cold War
  • Corporations
  • Department Of Defense
  • Europe
  • Force Structure
  • Geospatial Intelligence
  • Governments
  • Kara Sea
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Northern Europe
  • Sea Lines Of Communications
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).
  • Polar and Arctic Studies
  • Strategic Security Studies