The U.S. military has just upped the ante in Alaska, deploying around 130 soldiers and two mobile rocket launchers to a remote island in the Aleutian chain. Why? Because Russia and China are cozying up in joint military exercises, and their planes and ships have been creeping a little too close to American territory for comfort. Sure, the Pentagon insists there’s “no cause for alarm”—but sending soldiers and high-powered rocket systems to Shemya Island sure looks like a proactive move, and one that might say otherwise.
Russia’s been busy lately, with eight military planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, skirting the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the past week. Now, none of these planes breached U.S. airspace, but they’ve been spotted flying awfully close. The cherry on top? Russia’s teaming up with China for these drills—because nothing says peaceful collaboration like joint military operations right next door to the U.S. border.
Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska isn’t buying the Pentagon’s “nothing to see here” attitude either. He’s been sounding the alarm about the growing Russian-Chinese threat in the Arctic for years and calling for the U.S. to bulk up its military presence in the region. Sullivan, never one to mince words, reminded everyone that Russia and China have been getting awfully chummy off our coasts, conducting joint exercises and even sending a spy balloon over the U.S. earlier this year. The senator is pushing to reopen Naval Air Facility Adak, which was closed in 1997. Given recent events, maybe closing it wasn’t the best idea after all.
🚨JUST IN: The Pentagon has just moved 130 soldiers along with mobile rocket launchers late this evening to a desolate island in the Aleutian chain of western Alaska.
These moves come amid a recent increase in Russian and Chinese military planes approaching the western USA.… pic.twitter.com/HRaQk512iV
— George Papadopoulos (@GeorgePapa19) September 18, 2024
The timing of these Russian incursions is no coincidence. Russia and China kicked off their “Ocean-24” drills in the Pacific and Arctic oceans on Sept. 10, and just two days later, Russian planes were buzzing near Alaska. NORAD tracked them, and while the Pentagon insists there’s no imminent threat, the message is clear: Russia and China aren’t backing off.
Shemya Island, the current military hot spot, is an isolated, wind-swept chunk of rock about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage. It’s home to an Air Force station dating back to World War II, and now, it’s the new base for U.S. soldiers armed with HIMARS rocket systems. These mobile rocket launchers aren’t exactly subtle. They’re designed for precision strikes, and their presence on Shemya signals that the U.S. isn’t going to sit back and watch while Russia and China get too close for comfort.
HOW MUCH DETERMENT IS 300 SOLDERS DROPPED OFF ON AN ISLAND 300 MILES FROM SIBERIA?
“Russo-Chinese Arctic war games spur US response as Alaska officials warn only strength can deter crisis”
“After the Army deployed 130 airborne soldiers to a far-flung Aleutian Islands base amid… pic.twitter.com/rVctNoAFMb— Jim Weed (@JimBobW49) September 18, 2024
The situation in Alaska is a stark reminder that the Arctic is becoming a new front in the growing power struggle between the U.S., Russia, and China. For years, Moscow and Beijing have been quietly extending their influence in the region, and now, with their military drills ramping up, they’re sending a clear message: the Arctic is up for grabs.
Sullivan, who’s been an outspoken advocate for a stronger U.S. presence in the Arctic, sees these latest provocations as proof that the U.S. needs to act now. He’s not alone in his concerns, either. With Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and China’s increasing assertiveness in the Pacific, the stakes are only getting higher. The U.S. military’s recent move to deploy soldiers and rocket launchers to Alaska may be just the beginning of a larger strategy to counter Russia and China’s growing presence in the region.
So, while the Pentagon might be playing it cool, the message from Alaska is loud and clear: the U.S. is watching, and it’s ready to respond. And if Sullivan gets his way, this won’t be the last time we see an increased military presence in the Aleutians. After all, with Putin and Xi getting a little too comfortable off our shores, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
